tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41404462270555339552024-03-12T20:01:21.973-07:00CosmicSparky's Den of MadnessJustin Passickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17507223613265525734noreply@blogger.comBlogger375125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4140446227055533955.post-65083602901144057162022-03-28T16:54:00.001-07:002022-03-28T16:54:10.813-07:00The Road to Onslaught: First Sign Part 2<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQFoaXexYyyolXax7DNTyVppc1Kk1UNQm5QiFdVR9eAmNnm9EbR2ZCKLU3rK2Z-IrnHpM3zVpbfqKks77v8S0xiYWHYxzPMk-jx4gABeRcHbK9UeejgG2SW03t_CADm3PeqwwDIAFYEfznSDzuGHnntQZf6G0DCJtq5vo6KHMIHQ-mncPe-DJzOhNC/s4032/Road%20to%20Onslaught%20First%20Sign%20Part%202%20(3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQFoaXexYyyolXax7DNTyVppc1Kk1UNQm5QiFdVR9eAmNnm9EbR2ZCKLU3rK2Z-IrnHpM3zVpbfqKks77v8S0xiYWHYxzPMk-jx4gABeRcHbK9UeejgG2SW03t_CADm3PeqwwDIAFYEfznSDzuGHnntQZf6G0DCJtq5vo6KHMIHQ-mncPe-DJzOhNC/s320/Road%20to%20Onslaught%20First%20Sign%20Part%202%20(3).jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>Over the years of writing this blog there’s a few posts and series
that stand out as favorites,s almost embodiment of why I do this to
begin with. One such cherished time was way back in 2015-2016 when I
covered the delightfully silly, and often confounding Marvel Comic’s
saga known as The Crossing. This particular event proved very
controversial in its own time and was eventually retooled within
continuity and goes largely unmentioned. Honestly it makes sense as
the whole thing reeks of edgy 1990’s attempts at making things more
cool and marketable such as replacing Tony Stark, who turns into a
murderous villain, with a time-displaced teen-aged version of
himself, or turning the wasp into an actual giant bug lady. It was
sloppy, inconsistent, full of holes, and an absolute blast to review.
</p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>Truth is, The Crossing was always preamble for me, a stepping stone
towards something greater. Problem was a lack of resources and the
grim realities of product availability made moving on to that bigger
fish a non-starter. Since the early 2000’s I’ve wanted to read
another hated Marvel crossover event, one that rivals the crossing in
size and scope. Of course I speak of Onslaught.
</p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>When I lest touched on this topic was midways through a collection
called First Sign which held together the main threads of Avengers,
Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America as they transitioned from one
massive event to the next. It wa right in the midst of that when I
realized there was no reasonable way for me to continue on to
Onslaught, even worse if I wanted to delve further into the Heroes
Reborn era. And so the recurring series drifted away. As a strange
man once said, life… finds a way, and as I’m writing this the
complete Onslaught is likely a day from reaching my doorstep. If
there’s ever been a time to pick up that torch and get back on the
march now is it.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>So
where were we? </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">While I’d
advise those with the time to go back through all the old posts I
realize few of us have such luxuries. In the meantime I’ll fall
back on my recap from the original First Sign posting. </span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">“Tony
Stark turned out to be a toady for time-traveling villains. He killed
a few people and eventually sacrificed himself in a last ditch effort
at redemption, leaving his time-displaced teenage self to pick up the
pieces. Another villain, Madam Masque seemed to turn over a new lief
and joined the Avengers while Wasp was actually transformed into a
bug-person because we all remember how big kids were into the works
of Cronenberg in the 90's, right? In other books at the time Captain
America returned from some situation that caused people to think he
was dead, Thor lost all his godly powers, and west coast team, Force
Works disbanded.” Might as well throw in the addition that War
Machine also finished a strange period in which he donned an alien
armor called Eidolon War Ware.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>As for the First Sign era
there were a combination of odd elements like </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Sharon</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
Carter returning from the dead, Thor losing his godly powers followed
by him hooking up with Enchantress. And young Tony Stark starting
college where he discovered one of his teachers to be his former
flame all grown up. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">it
should be noted that this isn’t the entire story leading into
Onslaught. There’s actually a number of issues of various X-Men
books leading up to this event as well which are covered in multiple
paperbacks. My hope is they one day collect all of that into a giant
omni so we can return to this era again down the line. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">All
that preamble outta the way I think we can finally dive back into
this ponderous period in comics history.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">A</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">vengers
#397</span></p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFhuqLvea7CrELx7ByDZogm2aKHGBB165TID-dwwEumgfQTkXoDsVjIlDgo1DHFPC4tJhAYKOl7RwP7YFZIZ7bigwds7jmgPBQRypeoSMF-nHn-jZD9-i2rb-6bvCoQKrRjcZZ_gAt9LUACoO3-kTpKBIHFsgiUcBteb6pZ9CK0BGcIgPyurIwbcGP/s4032/Road%20to%20Onslaught%20First%20Sign%20Part%202%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFhuqLvea7CrELx7ByDZogm2aKHGBB165TID-dwwEumgfQTkXoDsVjIlDgo1DHFPC4tJhAYKOl7RwP7YFZIZ7bigwds7jmgPBQRypeoSMF-nHn-jZD9-i2rb-6bvCoQKrRjcZZ_gAt9LUACoO3-kTpKBIHFsgiUcBteb6pZ9CK0BGcIgPyurIwbcGP/s320/Road%20to%20Onslaught%20First%20Sign%20Part%202%20(1).jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>If
ever there was a comic that embodied the essence of spring cleaning
it would be Avengers #397. This is nothing more than arranging
pieces, and rushing the completion of different plot threads. Some of
it picks up with Hawkeye and Scarlet Witch playing survivalist in the
Grand Canyon against a bunch of rabid army </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">thugs.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
Another segment involves the aftermath of a battle between Hulk and
Thor that resulted in the latter getting his godly powers back. Big
blondy along with a gaggle of Avengers pick up some green people from
an underground society before going globe-trotting to intercept
bio-bombs or some such silliness. </span>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>Boy
I’d love to provide some witty commentary on this one but yikes,
what a snoozer. Each plot is dumped by issues end, confirming it all
as a sloppy ruse to get the band together. What an odd assortment it
is too. Most of the assembled crew are classic avengers just in
lesser variations. Wasp is still a giant bug lady, Thor is in full
shirtless 90s mode, and the writers seem to have zero clue what to do
with Vision. The specialty members are less than inspiring. On one
end you’ve got Swordsman who barely makes his presence known. Then
there’s Madam Masque, who I believe was later </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">rewritten</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
as not being Madam Masque </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">(like
a clone or something)</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Hercules and Deathc</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">ry</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
are around here somewhere but don’t you fret, they’ll soon be
forgotten. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">At least this
thing wraps up all this fluff in a single issue so we can move on to
something else.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>There
are two elements that got me back in the spirit of my old Crossing
reviews, the combo of wildly over-the-top facial expressions and ass
shots. Neither phenomenon is strictly bound to this time-period but
man was this ever an era in which both features hit with full force. </span>
</p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Iron Man #327</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Now
this is more like it. Can’t hide that I am eternally fascinated by
the blip of time that was teen Tony’s tenure. This issue showcases
the trouble the editorial staff had in </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">committing</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
to this new version of the lead character via a disconnect between
his new adventures and the old supporting cast </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">which
is beautifully illustrated by the opening of this issue</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>Our
story kicks off with the reading of old Tony’s will. All his
support crew are in attendance from Rhody to Pepper, and most
interesting</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">ly, Bethany Cabe
who disappeared during the Crossing a seeming victim of foul play.
But nah, everything’s fine folks. Unaware of the ghost at their
table and incapable of </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">acknowledging</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
the familiar teenager in the corner several folks are tasked with
leading Stark Enterprises into the future. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">There’s
also a mysterious figure watching this all through a video feed.
Given the track record of these comics I fully expect this </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">shadowy
conspirator</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> to never
resurface.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>Across town a lingering issue from the zodiac attack that left New
York powerless is being dealt with. A medical center that specialized
in cryogenic freezing finds the outage resulted in the death of most
of their customers. The founder however is doing more than fine in
his special chamber that siphoned power from surrounding chambers.
It’s not long before we meet Frostbite, the first of, many only of,
Teen Tony’s new enemies. It only makes sense to give the kid a new
assortment of villains since old Tony sorta got the short straw on
that front. And wouldn’t ya know this guy has a personal connection
as the husband of Tony’s former love, now college professor,
Meredith.</p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>After the will reading, Tont decides that it is totally appropriate
to visit his new professors home to announce that he didn’t ditch
he all those years ago. He simply got pulled into a tragic future
wherein he was nearly murdered by his older self and now he’s her
student who still has the hots for her. Mercifully the young lad us
saved complete embarrassment by the introduction of Meredith's
husband, Frostbite, who quickly puts a chill on the young avenger. I
feel no shame in that pun since these issues are full of far worse.</p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Iron Man 328</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>The
next issue kicks of right where we left off with… oh wait.
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Frostbite</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
and the lady are outside while Tony’s back at Avengers mansion
doing just fine, the fuck? </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Much
as I’d like to do a bit where I shout like an old man about “the
old days when cliffhangers mattered,” such thinking doesn’t
really apply to twenty-five year old comic books.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Most
of this issue exists to promote the new iron man suit which is…
different to say the least. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Alright
it’s straight out ugly. The core concept isn’t so bad but the
abnormal proportions really throw things off. From a characterization
standpoint it’s weird that the suit doesn’t look a wee more retro
seeing as Teen Tony is from a different time and doesn’t have as
vast a wealth as his adult self. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Overall
the suit is ok so long as they avoid nightmarish panels with his
eyes.</span></p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqOD6t3ukiW8TjBvo8Onomxkm31rBkeMROOIlnHN2jDibhsWo4Qhj3B4xlE66BOUEbmc7H2Lw8aCcjpJOrU_V0-DLKK9flGzMMrZZOC7BbawIcyFcxZW_eOPyIKgvqUztFEPgEUbzECSnQN4-rD_MtYvW7Beq9Z4leL25z-fUbOyK_XFtDUCFNX3v3/s4032/Road%20to%20Onslaught%20First%20Sign%20Part%202%20(4).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqOD6t3ukiW8TjBvo8Onomxkm31rBkeMROOIlnHN2jDibhsWo4Qhj3B4xlE66BOUEbmc7H2Lw8aCcjpJOrU_V0-DLKK9flGzMMrZZOC7BbawIcyFcxZW_eOPyIKgvqUztFEPgEUbzECSnQN4-rD_MtYvW7Beq9Z4leL25z-fUbOyK_XFtDUCFNX3v3/s320/Road%20to%20Onslaught%20First%20Sign%20Part%202%20(4).jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">God, kill it with Fire!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>Meanwhile
the Japanese have arrived </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">attempting
to</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> buy out Stark Enterprises
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">and Tony decides he’s
growing to start fresh by living at college, trying to become his own
man. There’s a whole conversation about whether he’s destined to
become an easily addicted man-child but such soul-searching is
quickly set aside for fine college ladies. Way to go, youngblood.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">A</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">vengers
#398</span></p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisfI72yNmhDbbi9q9hhOTEfhttd5lZfrBxfLXLqETrOPLFfK-fV5n8jxl2DaOaKBz1gDF7C2bOjdlFV9aaPviQKzU8oWHoxVeAlCsNM6v0eX7m3LN-YReWrRNxedpStShitm4mXwHvKmud1xrdoQGIIzV7FDui3GW1wp-J3s5XHfpyxl4CgSJH8jI5/s4032/Road%20to%20Onslaught%20First%20Sign%20Part%202%20(5).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisfI72yNmhDbbi9q9hhOTEfhttd5lZfrBxfLXLqETrOPLFfK-fV5n8jxl2DaOaKBz1gDF7C2bOjdlFV9aaPviQKzU8oWHoxVeAlCsNM6v0eX7m3LN-YReWrRNxedpStShitm4mXwHvKmud1xrdoQGIIzV7FDui3GW1wp-J3s5XHfpyxl4CgSJH8jI5/s320/Road%20to%20Onslaught%20First%20Sign%20Part%202%20(5).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>If
the previous issue of Avenger was equivalent to house-cleaning, this
one is an awkward rainy Saturday. Plot thread one concerns </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Hercules
and Deathcry making googly eyes at each-other while heading to the
moon to check out some package left near the old Inhuman </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">home-base.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
They end up kidnapped by some Shi’ar types and honestly I can’t
recall if this story ever receives a proper wrap up. I do know both
of them sorta vanish for a little while.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>Back
at Avengers HQ, Black Widow is being real cagey about Madam Masque
being on the team. Wasp discovers her husband implanted some sort of
tracking device in her neck. All the while Quicksilver makes a
couples dinner for himself, Crystal, Wanda, and Vision. His plans are
thrown on their head by the unwelcome mention of his possible future
son, Tuc (god, how did I forget about that goldmine) and a sudden
violent attack by vision. Said attack is linked to several
disappearances by a weird robo-crit</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">t</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">er
that’s infiltrated the mansion. Will this be a cliffhanger that
actually sticks? </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Find out
next time.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>Seriously
though, this is gonna be a prime feature for the next couple months
as it’s an opportunity I’ve waited years for. Still gonna do
other items like Ultraman series reviews and good god am I ever
behind on snack reports. Post nights are either going to be Mondays
or Thursdays depending on factors. I hope to have this first sign
stuff wrapped real quick so we can get into the real meat of
Onslaught. See you soon.</span></p>Justin Passickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17507223613265525734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4140446227055533955.post-85790233858546835242022-02-28T22:54:00.001-08:002022-02-28T22:54:03.942-08:00Candyman Series Review<p> </p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihBbu0s7G5hDyuQDW8xGD5claztBu9KH_G-14ksopoJ7Zy3p9wm1y3pZdQFkwxVGupymassIK3Tm96g0WVfOtTEhU60QdytstcW-3OXz56FIiR51U557OPa-2DtPF9O9_jJ3iIoBVCC7WoeBlioH7K5zbM34nxxvtuCrKXoX7ZnBENB94-zf3oukm4=s1920" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="718" data-original-width="1920" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihBbu0s7G5hDyuQDW8xGD5claztBu9KH_G-14ksopoJ7Zy3p9wm1y3pZdQFkwxVGupymassIK3Tm96g0WVfOtTEhU60QdytstcW-3OXz56FIiR51U557OPa-2DtPF9O9_jJ3iIoBVCC7WoeBlioH7K5zbM34nxxvtuCrKXoX7ZnBENB94-zf3oukm4=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>While it’s no secret that I’m a
big time horror </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">aficionado</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
I’</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">v</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">e
left some mystery surrounding the overly complicated storage </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">method
for the massive collection of spooky flicks. Since I’m pressed for
space there is a three tier system plus sub-organization. The basics
are based on quality. The best stuff gets house alphabetically on the
ikea bookcase, good but lesser flicks are stashed inside cubes in the
closest, and the weakest of the lot go in cloth bins in the highest
point of the closet. Every horror movie that comes through here is
subject to analysis of where it deserves to live. This debate gets
even trickier when it comes to full series as was recently the case
with</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> Candyman. </span>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>I’d
seen the original </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Candyman</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
several times in the past and while I didn’t mind it, something
always felt off. Watched the second </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">film
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">years later and found it
pretty lackluster. The recent revival via a forth entry combined with
a blu-ray release of the much hated third installment </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">marked
the perfect time to dive back in and really test out the legacy of
this franchise. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">For only
being four movies there’s some wild shifts in quality to contend
with. The original plan was to get these watched so they could be
part of black history month, even though the majority of them revolve
around blonde white ladies. My PC says it’s officially March 1</span><sup><span style="font-weight: normal;">st</span></sup><span style="font-weight: normal;">
but for you west coasters there’s still some black history to revel
in, so let’s do this.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>The
original Candyman has a huge reputation as many call it a true great
of the </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">horror</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
genre. Might as well get this outta the way but it’s not that
amazing. I mean it’s a solid film with a few choice scenes and a
setting that really sets it apart. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">What
hold OG Candyman back from being an undeniable classic isn’t
anything all that big so much as plentiful tiny missteps and poor
choices. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Sloppy editing,
u</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">gly sets, </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">underdeveloped
characters, and one heck of a</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
messy ending. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Even some of
its key features are double edged such as the score by Phillip Glass
which is both iconic and cheap-sounding. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Let’s
not get ahead of ourselves though.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>For
this first outing the focus is on Helen, a graduate student doing a
thesis on urban myths. Her key topic is on the candyman myth of
Chicago’s Cabrini Green projects. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Thinking
herself educated she sets out to prove how a neighborhood scared by
crime and insecurity, note that she has very little understanding of
social injustice, attributes social ills to a bogeyman in order to
cope with reality. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">The story
reaches peak quality at the midpoint with the flashback to the
bathroom killing followed by the big </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">revel
of Candyman and the twists he provides to the story</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
Past that it becomes a series of scenes where Helen acts crazy and
wonders why people think she’s crazy </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">until
the big face-off</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>OG
Candyman is a might bit messy. Lots of folks talk up how it focuses
on issues of race but the way it handles those topics is both
one-sided and sloppy. Other horror flicks of the era like People
Under The Stars handled racial inequality through the lens of
characters living through those experiences. When Helen goes to
Cabrini Green she might as well be sight-seeing, taking in other
peoples misery for her own potential gain. Her understanding of the
difficulties that neighborhood faces is incredibly superficial and
the movie never totally calls her out on it, making for a difficult
to root for protagonist.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>That
being said, Tony Todd is an absolute boss, coming across not unlike
an African American Vincent Price. His attitude, delivery, and
presence go a long way in making the film memorable. Likewise there
are some outstanding scenes like when Helen wakes up after first
encountering Candyman. Plus the Chicago projects are a unique horror
movie setting even to this day. Like I said before; it’s a </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">good
movie, but a bit short of true greatness.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Candyman:
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Farewell to the Flesh
attempts to maintain the brainier approach of its predecessor but
can’t help </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">itself from
being plain old dumb. For this second attempt the action moves down
to New Orleans where a woman named Annie deals with her brother being
accused of murder, a crime that stretches back further in her family
past. Before long she’s mixed up with the Candyman and the search
for a magic mirror… seriously,</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Lots
of people talk smack about jumps scares without really understanding
the gap between good and poor examples. A great jump scare not only
provides that quick boost of adrenaline but actually has some baring
on the events you’re watching unfold. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Furthermore
it should amp up the threat level.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
Farewell to the Flesh is full of </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">the
worst kind of </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">jump scares
where nothing of note, or sometimes nothing at all, happens but
there’s a loud noise edited in after the fact to make it seem
scary. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">More often than not a
character stumbles across a smelly hobo or stubs their toe on
something while the music ramps way up</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
If you made a drinking game out of it you’d likely be spared the
lame ending due to unconsciousness. </span>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>There’s
a certain comfort to that overdone mid-90s </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">estetic</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">along with some decent
atmosphere from the New Orleans Mardi-Gras setting but none of that
is enough to make up for </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Farewell
to the Flesh’s lack of thrills or ideas</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
Our boring heroine stumbles from one scene to the next being scared
by nothing until Candyman pops up behind someone to slice em capped
off by a race to break a magic mirror. And let’s talk about the big
C guy’s plan here. Turns out he’s got a line of white descendants
and he wants to kill em all to make his legend bigger somehow…
that’s it. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">The racial
angle is even more superficial this time with the focus on scared
white girl over</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">powering</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
disenfranchised cultures haunted by a boogeyman. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Save
for a couple decent looks at Candyman’s past this is an almost
perfect example of rent it and forget it mid-90s fair.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Candyman
3: Day of the Dead ushered the series into the dank bowels of
straight to video releases where it could potentially fester
alongside the likes of Amityville and Hellraiser. For decades I’ve
heard how terrible this one, reports that seemed legit given the
series ended full stop. Pretty much everything I’d heard was
correct. This thing’s dog shit all the way through. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">While
this marks it as pretty poor viewing, personally I may have had more
fun with this than with part 2.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
The tone and style is a weird mix of the previous films with a return
to exploring race culture within a big city, this time hispanic
community in L.A. Candyman himself feels closer to his first
incarnation though his plan is a shaky combination of what came
before, On that front this continues the family subplot from Farewell
to the </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">F</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">lesh
which makes for a really weird feature. Technically this story should
be happening about nowish, maybe 2020 itself. Only a version of 2020
where folks where adult sized clothing and all phones are hardwired.
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">That means these events are
actually happening after the newest </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">film</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Donna
D’Errico of Baywatch/Baywatch Nights fame stars as Caroline, the
daughter of Annie from part 2. She’s part of the art scene in L.A.
who gets roped into an art show featuring the works of Daniel
Robitaille, aka Candyman. Before long the big guy’s out to hell her
and everyone she knows cause why not? There’s very little to praise
here with </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">The greatest
highlight </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">being</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
the </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">comically</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
evil cops who actually seem like psychic premonition of public police
relations in the 2020s. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">This
is just a trashy straight to video slasher with little in the way of
ambition. Tony Todd’s still doing his best and there’s a tiny
speck of a new idea with some goths worshiping Candyman but it all
goes nowhere. Strange enough this one is actually improved by the
fourth movie as those events could explain why it took so long for
him to come after Caroline as well as proposing an interesting fate
for the one cop character.</span></p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQOK6f915DtlnNksf-xckyhq6UqxwFOLqIvLa9UuxeMtRL60kr2nVluf-RT18v9pPLaqVqFJN943XeIHCJ9ag_q7W7w9EVllq4H-JAVgnWS37JI_lRQ-2fLUKIsB_r8YVeeuCskRCmhAUUmCLvj1OhGerONqKElKucaMtg1E3gDfLrh68j9a8aD5wn=s1920" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="749" data-original-width="1920" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQOK6f915DtlnNksf-xckyhq6UqxwFOLqIvLa9UuxeMtRL60kr2nVluf-RT18v9pPLaqVqFJN943XeIHCJ9ag_q7W7w9EVllq4H-JAVgnWS37JI_lRQ-2fLUKIsB_r8YVeeuCskRCmhAUUmCLvj1OhGerONqKElKucaMtg1E3gDfLrh68j9a8aD5wn=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>By
this point the series didn’t have a very favorable batting average.
One decent yet messy flick followed by two dull & idiotic sequels
isn’t the best way to stand out in the horror crowd. For my own
personal viewing experience this meant a lot was riding on the new
Candyman in cementing the overall franchise quality. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Plus
there was the curiosity/worry of what I was in for. The past 6 years
or so have brought a </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">bevy</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
of what the internet calls </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">elevated</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
horror movies and for each one that works there’s a </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">dozen
absolute shit shows</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">that</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">are gonna age about as well
as yogurt in an Alabama Summer.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Right
off the bat there’s a massive improvement in cinematography,
editing, music, all the fine details that make a movie pop. Really
can’t say enough about the score which channels the spirit of the
old Phillip Glass stuff without sounding </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">so
cheap. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">There’s some
obvious effort being made to lift the series out of the lame duck
slasher territory of previous sequels. </span>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>Setting
production quality aside though we have something new and novel for
the series, a protagonist who isn’t a white woman. For the first
time ever the series looks at racial issues through the eyes of
African Americans, namely an artist who has a secret connection to
Cabrini Green. He develops an obsession for Candyman, just not the
one we’re familiar with. In fact the film changes a whole lot about
the nature of Candyman in a way that might annoy some old-school fans
but really opens the series up should anyone wish to continue it.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>This
new </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">flick</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
seems to bite off more than it can chew </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">though</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
Some of the new ideas are really interesting but they’re left
feeling underdeveloped. The proper lack of a follow-up appearance
from Helen is especially notable given how this story touches on the
ending of her tale. The tiny appearance of Tony Todd, while awesome
and very appreciated, is still kinda sad after all this time without
him. Plus it seems a little confusing as anything other than fan
service and I’d imagine newbies kinda scratching their head at it.
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">And while the racial aspects
are definitely improved on there’s still a superficial element
thanks to having the characters on the outside looking in. </span>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>Issues
aside this is easily the highlight of the series. It’s mean,
well-made, entertaining, bloody, with just a touch of something more
to give it some weight. I found myself shift from giving zero shits
about a new Candyman to being all about this thing. In the modern era
of long-form horror sequels this is definitely a highlight.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>While
I debated where to store the series within my collection I decided to
do something uncharacteristic and actually split them up. Despite the
first film’s issues I’m likely enough to revisit it that it can
stay on the bookcase with part four to keep it company. The second
and third are totally in the bins.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>Alright;
I’ve been plugging away at this long enough for tonight. Next
update we’re gonna return to a topic I haven’t touched on in
years in preparation for a long-planed series of articles to come.
Either that or a snack report cause good lord have I been forgetting
to keep you guys up to date on some goodies. Whatever the sequence of
events I’m still doing my damnedest to get back in the flow around
here, so look forward to those.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</p>Justin Passickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17507223613265525734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4140446227055533955.post-12237759671679902522022-01-31T19:36:00.006-08:002022-01-31T19:36:42.750-08:00Cosmicsparky Returns to Talk About Underworld<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhhZTuB_Ow2GcnqiC8srBpwCfRwy9fEW54Ve5zoTvvpE6WTxz1YMmc-acAayhhSpE5p7JOst2DFMJa5fEIPMdU22EDIDVxolMsyEH95SpxPLfR48tIZAYK4a-FkT3jvCVjzaZphRhSHcnYDna7_rTkKyyOmO1MhFI-Uhg1ILLLHDXMqiuHs4aZj2Wfc=s1920" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="893" data-original-width="1920" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhhZTuB_Ow2GcnqiC8srBpwCfRwy9fEW54Ve5zoTvvpE6WTxz1YMmc-acAayhhSpE5p7JOst2DFMJa5fEIPMdU22EDIDVxolMsyEH95SpxPLfR48tIZAYK4a-FkT3jvCVjzaZphRhSHcnYDna7_rTkKyyOmO1MhFI-Uhg1ILLLHDXMqiuHs4aZj2Wfc=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Another round of big holidays has
come and gone</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">and
yet another year is in proper swing. In the interim I’ve been a
total slouch at </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">blogging</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
Since last touching base there’s been the usual array of work,
holiday clean-up, January projects, oh, and the entire household may
have had covid at </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">some</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
point. At the very least we found out well after the fact that we’d
been exposed. If it infected any of us it went unnoticed. Don’t
take this as downplaying the risks. We’ve all had our shots and
thankfully the family luck tends to keep things like that at bay.
Outside the house we now know some folks who were taken out by covid
and I even had to take on extra work responsibilities for a while as
several folks took ill. It may be a new years but, seriously folks,
take your damn shots, </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">I can
nly handle so many extra shifts</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Given
the amount of time that’s passed i</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">t’s
only right to do some post holiday wrap-up. Can’t speak for
everyone else but around here December felt kinda off. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">I</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">t
rarely felt like Christmas so much as extended Thanksgiving. That’s
not to say it was bad as there were still plenty of pleasant moments
and nifty gifts to go around </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">I
just think a number of people weren’t in the spirit and that
collective charge that seeps out into the world </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">failed
to reach full strength</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> It
was the sort of holiday you hard to force a little by taking the
right steps in food or entertainment </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">in
order</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> to trigger that jolly
center of the brain. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Oddly
enough I felt more festive </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">throughout
January. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Perhaps</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
the spring holidays will need to be </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">beefed</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
up </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">to balance the scales</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>While
the feeling of Christmas wasn’t totally there it didn’t stop this
household from doing their damnedest. The advantages of proper
employment allowed me to give a better array of gifts. Not to brag
but the haul wasn’t half-bad either </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">with
most of my hobbies covered. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Nearly
everything came in threes. Three horror flicks, three tv series,
three video games, you get the idea. If I wasn’t already primed for
months of activities this certainly made up for any lacking areas. </span>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Originally
the plan was to segway this post into the fittingly post-holiday
first season episode of Night court </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">featuring</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
Michael J Fox as a </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">despondent</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
teenager. Problem is I </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">revisited</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
the </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">show</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
about two days before Christmas and have since forgotten all the
internal </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">commentary.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
Still there’s one thing, or rather five that I planed to write
about and still maintain enough </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">snark</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
to torment you with; The </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Underworld</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
franchise.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Little
personal history. Despite being a </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">fiend</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
for all things horror I’ve largely avoided the </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">U</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">nderworld
flicks. Sure the first two were blockbuster rentals way back when but
after not finding either all that thrilling I subsequently ignored
the </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">sequels</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
That is until a fancy new 4k box set came out last fall and I </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">caved
to shiny packaging</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">. The
whole multi-genre thing combined with plenty of monsters and apt
amounts of snow and blue filter made these a perfect project for the
Halloween through New Years window </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">anyway</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">In the process </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">of
picking up </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">the series</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
after all these years </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">something
of an appreciation started to grow while </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">getting</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
dash</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">ed</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
against the rocks a few times as well.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Let’s
go all the way back to 2003, pretty much the center of that time when
genre-mixing action flicks were quite the rage. Whether it was Blade,
The Matrix, Resident Evil, Riddick, Equilibrium, AVP, </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Van
Helsing,</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> or Sky Captain
there was a gap to fill after jingoistic muscleman flicks had been
deemed out of style and untimely. If ever there was a time to launch
a film series about a skinny British girl in a body-condom </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">who
punches monsters, this was it</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">And what teenage boy
wouldn’t be down for hot chicks, guns, and monsters? Apparently
this one. </span>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Before
going much further I’d best give the general rundown of how the
series functions. Vampires and werewolves, oh sorry, Lycans are real
and have been at war under our very noses for centuries. Vamps are
ruled over by three elders who take turns being in charge while
wolves are far less organized. During the first outing we learn of
biological experiments from the lycans based on the two species
shared origin from a man whose had a strange reaction to a plague
which then split off into the monster bloodlines. A modern day human
descendant of that </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">bloodline</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
named Michael is pulled into the conflict where he meets hard-ass
vampire </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">deathdealer,</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
Selene. Forbidden love ensues, hybrid monsters are made, and ancient
conspiracies unearthed.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>At
the time of it’s </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">release</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
I found Underworld’s storytelling to be messy, the world generic
and ugly, and the action to be mostly boring. Some of these flaws
have actually improved with age. The action, while still sluggish, is
kinda refreshing after the waves of choppy editied action that
occurred post Bourne movies and the over-choreographed stuff
permeating every streaming service today. The blue-filtered eurotrash
look now carries a comfy nostalgia. Even the story comes across more
sturdy </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">when compared to
later cinematic abortions like the Transformers movies. There’s a
level of gore, camerawork, and </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">film-craft</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
that </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">didn’t feel like
enough at the time but is damn respectable in retrospect.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Still;
there’s plenty of issues with the biggest</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
one that is wildly tossed at more recent movies, </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">being</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">how</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
it feels less like a full story and more like an ad for other stories
that could be. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">There’s so
much in the way of characters and plot points that are only
half-realized either on purpose or out of sheer laziness. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">So
many names and past events are dropped in the viewers lap</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
as if they’re a big deal only the audience has no frame of
reference to work with. Oh it’s so shocking that this guy I know
nothing about has been fake dead all this time, oh and now he’s
really dead. Some of this shit outright disappears. Like it always
seemed that the blonde vampire, Erika has something more up her
sleeve but you’ll never see her again. Characters are wasted and
we’re promised that nothing will ever be the same even though we
had the most bare-bones explanation of how this world worked in the
first place.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>Underworld Evolution came out three years later and this one was
closer to how I remembered it. Right out the gate the backstory is
made even more convoluted by trimming down the origin of both species
as the two sons of Corvinus, one who was a vamp, the other werewolf
(but not lycan as we’ll learn later on). The vampire Viktor is one
of the elders who has now woken up with some lycan blood in his
system, making him a hybrid apparently, and sets out to kill a
shitload of regular vampires and free his wolfie bro from captivity
because of purity or some such nonesense. Meanwhile we make repeat
visits to a batch of new seemingly human characters who aren’t
explained until roughly the 50-minute mark.
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEisMb5TaYK2dSeTFtUY76TCfFCbc4Q9s1YmHvmvQY5aszCMfLhLw5-3pfLlNljJsLOkF5R-qC3vzKweyzgVb6Um_kumSkUWKpYChTBBLruzsnc77l-9I6-2YfuDYVmia_US9oPqsq9PfWXGgVSkLQelaDY6g18lEzQZWiVAd6ciH1MqeewBnt1x8Z0v=s1920" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1920" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEisMb5TaYK2dSeTFtUY76TCfFCbc4Q9s1YmHvmvQY5aszCMfLhLw5-3pfLlNljJsLOkF5R-qC3vzKweyzgVb6Um_kumSkUWKpYChTBBLruzsnc77l-9I6-2YfuDYVmia_US9oPqsq9PfWXGgVSkLQelaDY6g18lEzQZWiVAd6ciH1MqeewBnt1x8Z0v=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>If
evolution sounds like something of a mess that’s because it is.
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Editing</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
and action have gone down in quality, character development is
nonexistent, geography and proper chronology are often ignored.
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Character development is at
a standstill while more plot points and macgguerns are tossed at the
audience. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">It’s not the
worst film in the series though it certainly comes close. Once again
things end with the promise that nothing will ever be the same which
still means nothing since we don’t even totally know what part of
the world we’re in. Seriously it’s just generic Europe at this
point.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>For
the third outing the series in 2009 the series </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">takes</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
the prequel route with </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Rise
of the Lycans. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Multiple dead
characters from the first film are brought back and placed front and
center in a medieval setting that makes the series feel the closet
it’s ever been to Hammer Horror territory. We learn that OG
werewolves were never able to shift between their man and beast forms
until Lucian, the first Lycan is born. Seeing an opportunity the
vampires use Lucian to breed a slave race </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">resuting
in a situation</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> best
described as </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Spartacus</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
with monsters.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>This one has</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
a bizarre reputation that </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">fluctuates</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
depending on who you ask between best or worst in the series.
Honestly neither is the case. Lycans is plenty entertaining with the
whole gladiator </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">meets</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
werewolves vibe and tons of Bill Nighey scenery chewing. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
issue here is that </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">there's</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
little to no new information for viewers to ponder. We already knew
this story and the added details only make things more </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">messy</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
When exactly did Lucian go into hiding as supposedly dead </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">is
a prime example since he’s fresh off victory at the end of this
outing.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> Little of importance
is added to the mythology and as </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">a
result we’re treated to a sorta fun </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">movie
that manages to jug in place.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>In
2012 audiences were given Underworld </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Awakening
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">which </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">nowadays
would </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">likely</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
be called a soft-reboot. We catch up with Selene only times have
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">drastically</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
changed. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Humanity finally
got hip to the whole secret history of monsters and set about wiping
both species off the planet. During this cleansing both Selene and
Michael are captured only for here to wake up years later naked in a
cryotube. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">With
the change in circumstances comes a full change to the supporting
cast with new allies and enemies abound, the most of important of
which is Selene’s daughter Eve.</span></p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPsgFcruVJOlrhlvFL3pQCkG0vqocguWqkP8r27iZvZEoukNzYInkkIaV8PAdXB5RLt8-bg7jqB4VMwc_KZhaqJjrxf03ZaKK9OV_meCzZkRxuzKVS9_VFp0eNy4WYyXBUZUmZigbND0ljPVxNIp0BQBvIYoi35r7Q_28Le1byDJN0j8Fe4DZZLqV4=s1920" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="876" data-original-width="1920" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPsgFcruVJOlrhlvFL3pQCkG0vqocguWqkP8r27iZvZEoukNzYInkkIaV8PAdXB5RLt8-bg7jqB4VMwc_KZhaqJjrxf03ZaKK9OV_meCzZkRxuzKVS9_VFp0eNy4WYyXBUZUmZigbND0ljPVxNIp0BQBvIYoi35r7Q_28Le1byDJN0j8Fe4DZZLqV4=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Despite
the usual array of failings </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">(not
limited to a giant CG werewolf)</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
this is probably my personal highlight for the series. For what feels
like the first time ever Selene actually has some development as she
faces sudden onset motherhood in a more dangerous world where her
kind of been driven underground and her lover is M.I.A. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Action
is vastly improved with far less posturing</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
there’s a new human character who exists as something other than a
love interest, Lycans get more crafty, and we even get treated to </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">the
wonderful </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Charles Dance
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">filling the</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
Bill Nighy void. There’s development on the front of Selene’s
super blood that she obtained in Evolution, a decent cliffhanger, and
even a funny action-heroine one-liner. It’s not grand cinema but at
least it feels like the series wants to be something more by this
point. Then we get Blood Wars.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>For
whatever reason the fifth entry in any series is usually a dour note.
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">At worst you end up with
something like </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Phantasm
Raveger</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> but even a solid
part 5 can be overshadowed by the titles surrounding it, think Friday
the 13</span><sup><span style="font-weight: normal;">th</span></sup><span style="font-weight: normal;">
Part V for example. Underworld couldn’t escape this trend and the
result is </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Blood Wars
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">which...</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
fuck is this thing awful. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">There’s</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
just so much wrong here beginning with a </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">limp</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
attempt to ignore the previous entry. Michael has yet to be found,
though his fate is revealed later on and is so damn stupid. Eve is
shoved off to the side for her own safety. As for humans I guess they
just forgot that monsters roam the earth. Characters mention how
they’ve been brought low in recent years but everyone’s back to
living in big castles or militant railyards and there isn’t a
single human character to deal with. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Selene’s
still got magic blood and knows the new vamps from Awakening but for
whatever reason she’s still on the run for the events of the first
two films as if anyone would care after humanity cut through the
monsters like shit </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">after a
church potlock</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>The
current crop of Lycans is getting a leg up over the vampires and
Selene is brought in to train a new crop of deathdealers. That is of
course until yet another conspiracy rears its ugly head forcing her
and (checks notes) David to flee northward to hook up with peaceful
snowy vamps who meddle in the spirit world. More secret histories are
revealed, another super wolf appears, and once </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">a</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">gain
the ending promises that nothing will ever be the same </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">(head
slap)</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Blood
Wars is just lazy on every front. Action sequences are dull, the
story is empty and forgetful, new characters are completely wasted,
and the answers to lingering mysteries are head-shakingly bad. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Adding
insult is how </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Selene has
totally lost her edge.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
Despite being a killer badass to begin with plus the upgrade she got
in part two she’s now weak as a kitten. Girl even gets captured and
strapped to a table </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">so
someone can rescue her</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">. Mind
you this isn’t in the </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">exploitative</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
sense to </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">titillate</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
the audience </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">so much as a
lazy way of trying to showcase how dangerous the new villains are. As
it stands the series has gone out on a majorly underwhelming note.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>After
finally taking in the whole platter I must admit I’ve softened
toward Underworld. The 1</span><sup><span style="font-weight: normal;">st</span></sup><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
3</span><sup><span style="font-weight: normal;">rd</span></sup><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
and 4</span><sup><span style="font-weight: normal;">th</span></sup><span style="font-weight: normal;">
installments are sloppy but entertaining enough while the 2</span><sup><span style="font-weight: normal;">nd</span></sup><span style="font-weight: normal;">
is a kind of a comfy dumpster fire. Blood Wars should be cast out to
sea but what are ya gonna do? It’s strange though how many facets
of the franchise remain unfulfilled, the biggest being Michael. For
being this super hybrid who’s supposed to change everything the guy
is basically a supernatural version of John Connor. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Each
movie tells us he’s a big deal while refusing to showcase how</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
Currently his daughter is stuck with that same thankless role unless
the series totally reboots and forgets everything that transpired
over these </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">five films. If
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Hollywood</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
ever needs it I actually have an idea on how to continue/expand the
current story </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">that I’m a
bit proud of as the main twist is pretty insensitive. </span>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>I’ve
certainly prattled on long enough for today. Been fairly good at
making time for all my various pursuits of late yet writing keeps
falling behind. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">No more I
say. As it stands there are articles on Ulraman, Candyman, new
snacks, and a return to a </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">long-dormant</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
feature all in the works. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Look
for those all throughout February and beyond. </span>
</p>Justin Passickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17507223613265525734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4140446227055533955.post-73457002732965322502021-12-03T22:42:00.000-08:002021-12-03T22:42:00.236-08:00December 2021 Snack Report and the Value of Cheap Movies<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">During the hustle and bustle of the
holiday season it’s not uncommon to let a thing or two slip by,
perhaps leave a chore lagging behind, or </span><span style="text-align: left;">maybe
as an example</span><span style="text-align: left;"> totally
neglect your blog for close to a month. Yeah, I’ll own up to it,
</span><span style="text-align: left;">what began as a selfish
mission to recharge post Halloween led to a number of crazy weeks.
</span><span style="text-align: left;">Within the past week alone
I’ve worked black friday retail, gotten two vaccines, seen plenty
of snow, and had to endure a doggy house guest.</span><span style="text-align: left;">.
</span><span style="text-align: left;">So yes I’ve been properly
busy but with the </span><span style="text-align: left;">holiday</span><span style="text-align: left;">
feeling growing like some sort of </span><span style="text-align: left;">festive
fungus I’d say</span><span style="text-align: left;"> it’s time
to get back on the horse.</span></div><p></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>November
in itself was something of a prolonged blur if we’re being at all
honest. What few distinct moments I can recall seem incredibly far
off despite being just weeks ago. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Among
those snippets of consciousness are mostly shopping outings, meaning
you’ll have to forgive this turning </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">mostly
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">into another snack report.
It’s just that when days start to run </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">together</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
the weekend where you find Christmas cereal has the best chance of
sticking out. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">It’s not all
sugary treats though so stick around even if you aren’t obsessed
with novelty ice cream.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Little Debbie
Christmas Tree Cake Ice Cream</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b> </b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Speaking
of novelty ice cream let’s talk about one of the absolute
highlights of the season so far. This Wal-Mart exclusive was set to
come out in November though yours truly found some before Halloween
and while it’s initial announcement was exciting there was a bit of
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">trepidation</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
as </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">the first news posts
didn’t mention which company was behind this magical slurry. Once
word broke that this was the work of Hudsonville, a prime Michgian
ice cream brand, all worry washed away.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>If
you’re on the hunt please remember that this is only available in
pints, a marketing choice that’s probably for your own safety. The
packaging is </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">unmissable</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
though with a bright red tacky holiday look calling back to a time
when people were less obsessed with calorie counting or modern
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">aesthetics.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>Digging
into the goo reveals something that totally lives up to the name.
This is a debbie Christmas tree cake turned into ice cream.
Everything from the sprinkles, cream, cake, and that waxy stuff all
blended with ice cream to create something astoundingly decadent.
It’s pretty much flawless in every regard. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">If
you see some, get it, horde it if you must. Build a temple in worship
of it. Shit’s that good.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Elf on the Shelf
Hot Cocoa Cereal</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>For
those </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">who</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">found</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
the original elf on the shelf cereal to be a bit </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">underwhelming</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
which… yeah it had problems, Kellog’s is looking to rope you in
this year with a new secondary </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">offering</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
based on that most </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">beloved</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
of drinks, hot cocoa. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
packaging still isn’t the best but I found the cocoa coloring is an
improvement overall which translates to the cereal.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>Let’s
be honest; as far as chocolate cereals go there are better options
out there. That being said this is a fine translation of mass market
hot cocoa to cereal form right down to the tiny, super dry,
marshmallows. The texture, flavor, and effects on milk are generally
pleasing. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">It’s been good
enough to warrant eating the whole box. Nothing amazing, just solid
festive fare.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Apple Pie Toast
Crunch</b></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>If approximating hot drinks isn’t your thing how about desert? The
toast crunch line has broadened this year with Apple Pie and oh
Christ is this somehow competes with little debbie ice cream for
title of reason for the season.
</p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>The presentation is alright at best with a solid green and Santa
caps on all the lil toast crunch guya. Once you’re inside however
the world changes. The smell is only a bit off from regulr toast
crunch with a solid hint of fruit. The flavor is just amazing though.
Somehow the texture even helps to maintain that concept of refreshing
and sweet apple goodness. It’s good enough to be deserving of a
year round position or at the very least returning every Christmas
for all time. Absolutely outstanding.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Mtn Dew
Gingerbread Spiced</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Not
content to spend all their creativity on Halloween those folks over
at Dew have brought us yet another new flavor for the yuletide.
Rather than stick to something safe like a holiday punch they went
straight to the baked goods section for a gingerbread soda. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Don’t
let the idea freak you out cause this is basically the closet dew has
ever come to ginger ale and the results are pretty tasty.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Gotta
admit the packaging on this one is a little off due to the sorta
pissy yellow tint on everything. Plus angry gingerbread men don’t
scream refreshment quite like rocking apples or mysterious phantoms.
Flavor wise we’ve got something worthwhile here. There’s a
definite ginger tinge with a bit more citrus back-up than usual
ginger ales. </span>
</p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>Upon first drink the thought occurred that this would make for an
awesome float though that experiment didn’t totally pan out. In a
float the flavor is greatly diminished making for something very
smooth and sorta bland almost like a snow float which, while
seasonally appropriate, isn’t the most satisfying. It did inspire
me to make a float with the Kroger exclusive apple flavor which was
quite nice.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Gingerbread Kit
Kat</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Anytime
Kit Kat unleashes a new flavor my brow </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">instinctively</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
flexes with </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">suspicion</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
More than most brands Kit Kat can waver wildly between </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">fantastic</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
and </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">downright</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
gross. I’m happy to report these fall </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">towards</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
the upper end of alright. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Initially
there’s a waxy sorta candle-like flavor going on that doesn’t
work. After you bite into it though and all the flavors start to
properly blend these end up as a pretty decent treat. Not up to the
level of Key Lime or Cinamon Kit Kats but a worthy improvement over
past mistakes like pumpkin spice.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>M&M’s
Snowballs</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>As
someone who holds pretzel M&M’s in the highest regard this
winter variety </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">seemed like a
good chance for the </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">oft</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">forgotten</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
M&M to get some time in the spotlight. Unfortunately</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
The white </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">chocolate</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
this brand uses doesn’t blend well enough with the pretzel
resulting in a candy that shifts between being too salty or too sweet
depending on the overall composition. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">They’re
still edible but pretty lame </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">and
a major letdown</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.</span></p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span> </span>When
not occupied with work, video games, board games, pets, chores, you
get the idea, I like
to work through a big pile of unviwed
dvds & blu-rays. Sometimes that pile undergoes a growth spurt
thanks in no small part to the dollar tree. During the pandemic I
discovered a bounty of dirt cheap entertainment I’d sadly neglected
for far too long. The excuse back in the day was just how many of
those movies are crap, and indeed many of them are. Even so there’s
plenty of good, great, or at least outright bizarre flicks to be
found for less than the cost of a rental.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>This
most recent haul lacks for much in the way of horror, maybe 3 titles
in total, but the remainder is made up of some real special treats.
Can’t tell you how long I’ve waited to see Kid Galahad, a movie
that manages to house both Elvis and Bronson. There’s an early
2000’s western called </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
Claim</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> with an absolutely
bonkers cast of folks like Wes bentley and Milla Jovovich. Best of
all is a classic of lazy Saturday afternoons, Men at Work. I know
this movie is hated by many but I couldn’t tell you how often I sat
through this one as a kid just enjoying the antics of Charlie and
Emilio. We might have to talk about that one in detail somewhere down
the road. First I gotta make the perfect setting for it, early
Sat/Sun afternoon preferably with a nice selection cheese snacks and
a small reason to </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">feel smug</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Could make for a fine piece
of holiday therapy. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">You keep
Christmas in your way and let me keep it in mine. Suppose this should
mark a warning that if I’m your secret Santa there’s gonna be
some dollar store flicks in your stocking.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Well
this wasn’t amazing, moreso since images won't work for some reason, but I’m back, that’s the important thing.
It’s bee harder and harder to find writing time in recent months
but I’d like to keep this place in fighting shape again. Plus I
might find the lil spark that’s currently missing from my holiday
mood. Heck, maybe’s it’s finally time to write about the night
court episode with Santa and michael j fox. You’ve all been warned.</span></p>Justin Passickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17507223613265525734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4140446227055533955.post-75390868295492004202021-10-28T23:08:00.009-07:002021-10-28T23:08:48.384-07:00Happy Halloween Soda Party<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H4FKzBS9np8/YXuPpbs8dMI/AAAAAAAADzI/M6glpCdU_torsqdSItDOoCX59mt_B9pPwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Happy%2Bhalloween%2BSoda%2BParty%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H4FKzBS9np8/YXuPpbs8dMI/AAAAAAAADzI/M6glpCdU_torsqdSItDOoCX59mt_B9pPwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Happy%2Bhalloween%2BSoda%2BParty%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Time and tine again it amazes me
how much each season can have it’s own mood and tone separate from
those of the past. This can radically differ from what we expect as
well. Marching into the Halloween season this year I thought it was
going to be a massive return to form after the more muted 2020 model.
Instead it’s been a mixed bag of developments on that direction
alongside lingering difficulties like piss poor supply chains at
stores. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Admittedly it took
me longer than usual to find the best way to take in this Halloween,
which is as something of a zen observer. This wasn’t a season to be
sucked into or even forced but to be gently </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">prodded</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
and then viewed in comfort.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>Little
known tidbit about yours truly but during my media-obsessed youth I
took more than few life lessons and viewpoints from favorite flicks
like the dirty slacker work-ethic of Tremors. One of my biggest
inspirations for how to view life was Ricky from The Burbs, not Corey
Feldman himself mind you cause that guy… yeeesh. I always loved the
sight of a character who reveled in his simple surroundings, taking
entertainment from his immediate surroundings. Rickey is essentially
the spirit animal of this season as best illustrated tonight when one
of my favorite moments was just sitting in the garage alongside my
cat, sipping pumpkin ale, and watching rainfall on my decorations. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">As
an activity it could technically be done any night of the year but
when else would the beer be brewed with pumpkins and the yard be
filled with giant spiders and gravestones?</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>In
the spirit of just enjoying the simple things, one of most recent
little adventures was a small soda tasting event. The Hitcher was on
tv, I turned on some of the wall lanterns and busted out a line-up of
various limited flavors for all to try. Like a wine-tasting only
somehow less damaging on teeth. </span>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>The
first flavor on tap isn’t actually Halloween </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">inspired</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
but it’s new and required assigning a mission to a relative on a
road trip. Mtn Dew recently brought out a Food Lion exclusive called
Uproar. Being from Michigan I’m not sure I’ve ever even seen a
Food Lion so when my sister announced her plans to head to the
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Carolina's</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
to drop off Ikea furniture I swooped in and bade her bring back as
much as possible. Is Uproar worth owing someone thirty bucks? Almost.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>Let’s
be fair; Dew is putting out so many flavors in recent years that some
of them are actually beginning to blend together in my mind. Scent
wise this is one of the all-time best with the Kiwi berry combo
smelling just plain awesome. Taste is good but a little hard to pin
down as I swear there’s bits of past Dews floating around in there.
Neither flavor truly takes over leaving the distinction of simply
being really good candy water. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">But
I do mean really good candy water definitely deserving of hoarding
for those with access.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>Outside
of the stash of Uproar and another 12-pack of Voodew 3 my sister also
brought back a bottle of Sheets Pumpkin Pie Soda. Don’t let first
impressions matter too much cause this stuff smells like total ass
but the flavor ain’t half bad. Think of the crossroads between
cream soda and ginger ale and you’ll have a decent idea of what’s
going on. It’s both smooth and bitey, just a shame it’s scented
like corpse.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>Next
up were two bottles I’d picked up nearly a month ago starting with
Hanks Caramel Apple Cream Soda. Oh yeah, this was some good shit
right here. The scent almost perfectly captures every </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">aspect
with proper waves of apple and candy. Taste is mostly on point as
well though I wish there was just a little more of that apple pucker
to it. If I’d thought of it adding some Dew Thrashed Apple woulda
been a fine idea.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>Last
up was Hanks Pumpkin Spice Cream soda which I’d feared had the
potential to be the worst of the bunch. Turns out it was, just not
for the reasons I expected. I’d imagined something with a nasty
candle taste but the actual product just tastes like… soda. No
particular soda either. Almost like a jumble of leftover flavors from
a pop machine. Sheets did a much better job tackling this concept but
at least Hanks has that lovely caramel apple.</span></p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PS3hmNSE0Uk/YXuPzAGFuXI/AAAAAAAADzM/pj_DVB8W-CkVik84uTg8dMV2eGkG5QzpQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Happy%2Bhalloween%2BSoda%2BParty%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PS3hmNSE0Uk/YXuPzAGFuXI/AAAAAAAADzM/pj_DVB8W-CkVik84uTg8dMV2eGkG5QzpQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Happy%2Bhalloween%2BSoda%2BParty%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>Another
of those odd moments that only seem to happen this time of year was
last week , maybe a </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Wednesday</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
at 2 AM. I decided it was time to make a pumpkin totem. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">No
doubt you’ve seen a few in your own towns. Somebody takes the
classic plastic pumpkin pail, drills a hole in the bottom, and stacks
em around a pole wrapped in lights. It’s a pretty low-budget
decoration with a decent impact on whatever your display happens to
be. It was the feeling of welding power tools to augment candy
buckets in the wee hours that really made this special.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>It
might seem like I’m a bit melancholy and indeed I am shocked that
the big night’s almost here. As with so many seasons there were
great surprises and a few missed opportunities. Wasn’t able to keep
the blog posted anywhere near as much as I’d planed but I wanted to
get at least one more out there for all you fellow Halloweeny folks.
Our time is here, to truly revel in a holiday dressed in whimsically
grim attire. Go out and enjoy the simple pleasures of this time while
you can. Listen to the Maniac Cop rap while heading to micky D’s
for a pumpkin cream pie. Take one more after dark stroll through the
park. Don’t force it, just nudge it and enjoy the results of this
most wonderful time. Thanks to anybody who includes this small space
as part of their year and may you all have the happiest of
Halloweens.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</p>Justin Passickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17507223613265525734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4140446227055533955.post-53757339100130276112021-10-12T02:07:00.007-07:002021-10-12T02:07:28.235-07:00Halloween Book Sale 2021<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_yMBL_pqppQ/YWVQBACkxII/AAAAAAAADyw/X4nMUfwAVuc9DaizfRaWf0VJjdd69TAXACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Halloween%2BBook%2BSale%2B2021%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_yMBL_pqppQ/YWVQBACkxII/AAAAAAAADyw/X4nMUfwAVuc9DaizfRaWf0VJjdd69TAXACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Halloween%2BBook%2BSale%2B2021%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>One of my favorite aspects of the
holidays is how they add just that touch of something extra to
otherwise </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">mundane</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">activities.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
Walks and rides are more soothing when there’s decorations to awe
at </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">while shopping becomes an
act of discovery with</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> store
aisles </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">carrying</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
seasonal surprises. It’s important to harness that energy </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">in
order to make each day feel satisfactory. That’s what leads to
personal rituals like the Halloween book sale. For most folks it’s
just a library book sale but when you make it a </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">purposeful</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">scavenger</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
hunt for horror items it becomes a proper event. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Tough
this is almost universally ranked among my least read posts each year
I still invite you all to come along for the fun.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>If
you’re wondering why there’s no post about mood tables, or the
planned bookcase, it’s because I haven’t finished em. Part of the
issue is just how much has changed around the house. There’s been
just enough shifting and moving to create new spaces while
eliminating others that I’m sometimes left scratching my head as to
what to do. Plus decorating a massive, and slightly incomplete,
bookcase is a good deal different than any table. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
upside is that I get to work on it little by little, keeping the mood
of Halloween alive through creativity rather than simple admiration.
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">All that said I think
inspiration may have finally struck tonight.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Finding
decent horror goodies </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">at
this sale </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">is always a
challenge due to their overall rarity </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">combined
with</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> the amount of
collectors and flippers out there. This year felt even tough</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">er</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
thanks to the increased floor space as the sale moved to a nearby
church. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">A </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">massive</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
spread meant great eyestrain </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">that
further compounded the usual difficulties of this event</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
Not sure if any of you have ever noticed bu</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">t
there’s this weird phenomenon where a lot of romance novels, mainly
the hardcover ones, look like horror titles thanks to vague titles,
fancy font, and sometimes </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Gothic</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
covers. Then there’s the usual array of mystery novels to </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">toss
aside</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">And
while it may seem counterproductive, I don’t take every horror item
I find. Some get left behind due to not sounding interesting enough
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">plus</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
it only seems fair to leave something </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">behind
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">for other </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">horror
hunters</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Naturally
I don’t restrict myself solely to scary stuff </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">though
it’s always wise to not go over the top when already months behind
on the personal reading list. This sale however had a decent amount
of R. A. Salvatore stuff on offer. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Had</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
a small share of these years ago and always enjoyed the adventurous
tone and boss ass violence the man conveys through his writing. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">There
were more in paperback format but if I was gonna take this chance to
rebuild a little Salvatore library then it’s gonna be proper
hardcovers. The Legacy and Passage to Dawn are the real highlights
here since these copies still fetch new prices online. What stinks is
these are the 1</span><sup><span style="font-weight: normal;">st</span></sup><span style="font-weight: normal;">
and 4</span><sup><span style="font-weight: normal;">th</span></sup><span style="font-weight: normal;">
of that particular series meaning there’s some hunting to be done.
The Orc King and The Pirate King however are a series or two later in
continuity and at least are in order with a lower price point for
part 3. Even if you’ve zero interest in Forgotten Realms D&D
media these are fun books when you need a spot of adventure which is
usually how I feel come November.</span></p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gLx5FT5kee4/YWVQIn_p3yI/AAAAAAAADy0/xzcgvqvS94ExJBGINSpTz54LdwaUZfStACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Halloween%2BBook%2BSale%2B2021%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gLx5FT5kee4/YWVQIn_p3yI/AAAAAAAADy0/xzcgvqvS94ExJBGINSpTz54LdwaUZfStACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Halloween%2BBook%2BSale%2B2021%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>Our
first horror item showcases precisely what makes this hunt so fun.
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Came across this hardcover
of Bless The Child by </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Cathy
Cash Spellman</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Flipped</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
it over only to see a brief excerpt with folks talking about a cult.
Cults are cool, this could be good, then I check the inner flap where
the quick explanation </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">something
along the lines of such and such is a forty-two year old grandmother.
Also she’s about to face off against the devil… only she doesn’t
know it yet</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">. Yes!!! Paydirt!
Not only does this sound delightful but it took me down a total
rabbit hole since it reminded me that there’s a movie that was made
by Chuck Russel of Dream Warriors, The Blob, and The Mask fame. Even
stranger is that Russel most recently made a </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Bollywood</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
movie. Chalk </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">that</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
up a</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">s a</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
project for next month.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Way
back when I was sampling mystery subscription boxes I received a
Cliver Barker Tortured Souls figure. Knew very little about the line
but it turns out that when bought brand new each figure came with a
little booklet detailing their backstory and role in Barker’s
overall lore. Sometime </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">later;</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
all these </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">pamphlets</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
were collected in hardcover form </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">called
Tortured Souls: The Legend of Primordia. Not a massive fan of Barker
but this seemed interesting enough at first glance and even better is
the resale value with this thing frequently fetching forty bucks
online. Not bad for a rando one dollar book.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Came
across two paperbacks that are apparently linked </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">written
by Sarah Langan</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">. Never heard
o</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">f Langan</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
before but there’s plenty of praise blurbs from Peter Straub though
I’d hope she’s better than his junk. That’s righ</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">t
Straub, I’m calling you out.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Also nabbed a dvd of The
Innocents. Never seen this thing in full, always kinda feared it to
be </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">overrated</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
dribble. Guess I’ll find out real soon.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Overall
a very streamlined and straightforward book sale this time but that’s
sort of the point. You’re never sure what’s gonna pop out of
those endless rows of books so you make the most of it while
maintaining a clear enough head to not go overboard. Left behind some
vampire anthology paperback along with some F. Paul Wilson material
that was war too far into his massive backlog to likely make much
sense. Still a fine small outing for the season.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>In
order to drive home the whole idea of little moments making the
season so much more let’s </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">add
a little unrelated tale from the following night</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
As much as possible I like to take the moped to work. It’s fun,
relaxing, and </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">saves</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
a shit ton of gas. Problem is this has been one swampy ass year in
this part of Michigan. While Friday’s ride in was just fine,
closing up shop was a whole different story. Getting rained on is
perfectly </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">acceptable</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
since a shower is the first thing on the agenda </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">yet
u</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">pon locking the door and
turning around I was treated to a strike of lightning right across as
the street, the sound of which rattled and bounced off of nearby
buildings. After forcing my skeleton not to jump out of my mouth of
anus I got rolling on the moped. The following one and a quarter
miles were spent making waves with my feet, cackling to the sounds of
some great thunder, and spitting out a bunch of rainwater at every
stop sign. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Admittedly this
all sounds like a massive pain in the ass but it’s in that moment
after pulling into the </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">garage</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
where you’re standing their, soaked down to your undies, that you
really feel alive. Much like we embrace scary things all season it’s
nice to take on a sudden challenge. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">More
so</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> in </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">current</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
times were a lot of what we used to take for granted is still a bit
wobbly.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>With
a good amount of time to go before the big night I advise any and all
of you to find those little things of your own. Maybe it’s a sale,
a convention, a town tour, o</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">r
maybe build up the guts to watch a movie you were always scared of</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
A wise man once advised peeing into the wind. You all face that wind
and let it roar.</span></p>Justin Passickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17507223613265525734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4140446227055533955.post-87160735327568663862021-10-04T22:54:00.005-07:002021-10-04T22:54:42.492-07:00Spooky Crafts and Mini Monsters<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VoHKVpjvIgg/YVvoK2uUCBI/AAAAAAAADyQ/mRBpe5gkkpQbpgn-FFCX_ljf0OVhO4m-wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Halloween%2BCrafts%2Band%2BMini%2BMonsters%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VoHKVpjvIgg/YVvoK2uUCBI/AAAAAAAADyQ/mRBpe5gkkpQbpgn-FFCX_ljf0OVhO4m-wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Halloween%2BCrafts%2Band%2BMini%2BMonsters%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>If it wasn’t obvious already I’ll
gladly take the time to point out the slight hiccup in the posting
schedule. Outside of the usual antics of the season and the “cough”
fun of work there’s also the advent of two new lifeforms added to
the household. Yes, for the second Halloween season in a row there
are new </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">kitties round here.
So far they’re not too much of a handful though there’s the
obvious challenge of </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">acclimating</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
the beasts we already have to the new situation. Adding to that is
the slight drama of whether we’re keeping both of the newbies. Th</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">at
matter seems to be settled as of today with the female seemingly
being a permanent resident.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>Even
without new pets there’s still been an ample amount of activity
lately with plenty of outings and little adventures. Just the other
day involved a journey down country roads in search of a mighty
pumpkin sale. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Before long
there needs to be a </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">costco
run for the truckload of batteries required of every holiday. While
that’s all fine and good it’s not really the universal spirit of
Halloween. Oftentimes the best memories are made doing the little
stuff like nighttime walks through the dead leaves </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">or
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">just turning off all the
lights for a favorite old scary movie</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
Cheap activities around the home </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">that
give us a minute to reflect and breath in the season are key</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
To that end I figured tonight would be a good time </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">to
talk</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> a little arts and
crafts in a range of prices for anyone in need of a little </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">quiet</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
spooky project.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>By
far the least expensive of these projects can be found at whatever
dollar store chain you happen to live by. At damn near any of em you
can find both seasonal wooden crafts and paints to spiff em up. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">For
us we picked up some signs and masks from Dollar tree and coated em
in a variety of cheapo craft paint. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">While
the financial edge can’t be </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">denied</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
there’s a certain level of annoyance to be found working with this
stuff as any sort of woodcraft sucks up </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">acrylic</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
paint like mad. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">This makes
for weird uneven patches and colors sliding over barriers, just
generally being a pain. A big tip is to spend some time highlighting
edges and boarders with markers. My sister went over all of these and
it made a world of difference for the final product. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Patience
is key here making this particular project a pain for someone like
me. For others out there it could be a fun family activity that won’t
crush the bank balance.</span></p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-63HcVCpjdTU/YVvoShoGUUI/AAAAAAAADyU/KfkfJdkyrr0BF1EcR2Pqo16RWbBfRqW-wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Halloween%2BCrafts%2Band%2BMini%2BMonsters%2B%25285%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-63HcVCpjdTU/YVvoShoGUUI/AAAAAAAADyU/KfkfJdkyrr0BF1EcR2Pqo16RWbBfRqW-wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Halloween%2BCrafts%2Band%2BMini%2BMonsters%2B%25285%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>The
mid-tier </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">price </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">belongs
to artificial pumpkins. I’ve covered these in the past </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">as
they have one of the </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">biggest
impacts on seasonal enjoyment. For twelve bucks I got a blue pumpkin
at Target, used a couple patterns from my backlog of carving books,
split the pumpkin in half, and now we have two more wall lanterns
that can be used year after year. Obviously the expense can go up
depending on your brand of craft pumpkin, whether you have
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">appropriate</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
tools, and whether you have patterns or want to freestyle your
creation. With just a couple nights, some hand pain, and careful
dedication you can get some </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">fantastic
results</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.</span></p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B4CdjEKZX7I/YVvoaMCtxaI/AAAAAAAADyc/rgoZj0-2smI3r1w-kQfB2C5pcjAQo_4ewCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Halloween%2BCrafts%2Band%2BMini%2BMonsters%2B%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B4CdjEKZX7I/YVvoaMCtxaI/AAAAAAAADyc/rgoZj0-2smI3r1w-kQfB2C5pcjAQo_4ewCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Halloween%2BCrafts%2Band%2BMini%2BMonsters%2B%25283%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>For
the third and most expensive craft option we turn to the subject that
inspired this post to begin with. Working at a game </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">store</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
I’d find myself spending a quiet moment staring at the spinner rack
of unpainted rpg miniatures. Don’t make the mistake of thinking
about </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">eleven</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
clerics and the like, no time for that nonsense. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">M</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">y
focus was on the big monsters. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Creatures
like froghemoths or dire trolls.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
The thought emerged that these guys would be great sprinkled among
the Halloween </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">village </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">or
mood table. Never guessed at the trap I’d </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">stepped</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
into as this notion shifted from a quaint idea to new obsession. </span>
</p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-16kyzM7TFTc/YVvogZyiMgI/AAAAAAAADyg/c3iBhjfOn4IuvrYG6Rzjed4myo9FceMPACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Halloween%2BCrafts%2Band%2BMini%2BMonsters%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-16kyzM7TFTc/YVvogZyiMgI/AAAAAAAADyg/c3iBhjfOn4IuvrYG6Rzjed4myo9FceMPACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Halloween%2BCrafts%2Band%2BMini%2BMonsters%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>As
with anything else price can be an issue. For the most impressive
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">miniatures</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
you’re talking prices ranging from 8-30 bucks. That’s before
paints, brushes, etc. There are a few ways to make it a more
affordable pursuit however. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">First
off when it comes to paints you largely want the nice model grade
stuff like Citadel and Army Painter. Those cheap craft paints you may
have lying around won’t cut it for a</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">ny
major features</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">. That being
said they work just fine for small details, </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">dry-brushing</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
stuff like that. My most complicated work so far will still
incorporate something </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">inexpensive</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
for added touches. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">On
b</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">rushes you’ve got even
more leeway. I’ve </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">seen</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
people buy single brushes that cost more than the whole set I got
online. The only really special one you need is a puffy makeup brush
for </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">dry-brushing</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
and those can be nabbed at a dollar store. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">There’s
definite time investment here since you can learn all about different
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">techniques</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
tools, and paints. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">If you
get hooked every model can serve as another chance to grew your
skillets.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">One
night it’s metallic paint on a mechanized monster, the next it’s
contrast paints on a shambling mound. While it can be handy to search
to the net for guides, v</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">ideos
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">on this</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
subject can be downright insufferable though </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">with
so many folks yammering on while refusing to edit their content down
to a reasonable length. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Just
consider part of the investment as time spent finding one guide you
can put up with. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">No matter
your level of dedication these critters make a fine way to add some
personal flair to any Halloween display.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>With
that we’re somewhat back on track. I hope tonight’s post gave you
all some ideas on ways to spend an evening indulging in the season
while still feeling constructive. There’s still so much to cover
this month and I hope you’re all out there having fun with what
feels like a return to almost proper Halloween. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">If
there was ever a time to indulge this is it. So turn on some unsolved
mysteries, paint a vampire, and maybe play a spooky game. With any
luck I’ll be back this weekend with the mood displays.</span></p>Justin Passickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17507223613265525734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4140446227055533955.post-25970299833115534022021-09-22T22:23:00.008-07:002021-09-22T22:23:38.119-07:00September Spree 2021:<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W4QzU3iUyvE/YUwO8TvwIlI/AAAAAAAADxw/ojTd8ark0aQoPVLtDwqCNACPywhPraiOACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/september%2Bspree%2B2021%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W4QzU3iUyvE/YUwO8TvwIlI/AAAAAAAADxw/ojTd8ark0aQoPVLtDwqCNACPywhPraiOACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/september%2Bspree%2B2021%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>If you’ve spent any amount of
time around this blog you’ll no doubt have noticed a trend towards
traditions. Be it the </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">usage</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">of Helloween to usher in
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">October</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">o</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">r
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">the Thanksgiving cinematic
turkey, I simply can’t help myself from adopting different annual
practices. One of the oddest ones to worm its way into my life in
recent years is t</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">he
September spree, </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">an annual
outing of extreme commercial avarice. The general rule has been that
there is no set date for this practice. I just get up one day in
September, decide to go shopping, and bring back a larger than
average amount of stuff.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
Only this year I actually had to set a date and naturally worried if
planning for the spree would upset the </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">balance</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
of nature. Turns out those fears were unfounded </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">D</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">espite
a few hurdles, </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">or possibly
because of them, the deeper meaning of this odd tradition made itself
known</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Starting
off the adventure we headed to </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Home
Depot </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">which </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">had
reportedly gone all-out on some kickass decorations this year though
the one I visited apparently didn’t get the memo. It seemed like
this wasn’t just them selling out as they obviously hadn’t
cleared out much space for anything and were carrying a </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">pittance</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
of what the company </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">had</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
on offer. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">First stop ended
up as a total bust but not enough to discourage the spirit of
materialism.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>Thankfully
this same plaz</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">a</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
was home to Ollie’s Bargain Outlet. If you’ve never made a visit
to any of their stores just combine a bit of hazy childhood memories
with nightmares, sadness, and a </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">nifty</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
element of surprise. Like the stores are sorta beat down and
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">depressing</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
but you can find such awesome shit at dirt cheap prices it feels like
going to a weirdo toy store. I walked outta there with multiple board
games and a marvel </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">omnibus</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
for just over 40 bucks.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>Next
up was Target </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">where things
were messy to say the least. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">On
the one hand it was easy to find nice little items like candy and
coffee but the Halloween section was something of a desert. Found a
couple of goodies like this years craft pumpkin, yet another
tradition, and a nicely made groundbreaking skeleton, but a lot of
heavy hitters and essentials were absolutely awol. This is something
of a theme this season thanks to a two-pronged event. On one end
there’s a whole lotta people who want to get back into Halloween
big time after trimming back in 2020 </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">and
are buying up everything in sight</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
At the same time some of these stores, like my local dollar tree,
based their orders off of last years sales which is an astoundingly
bad way to do business. Combine trimmed orders with increased demand
and the result are barren aisles. </span>
</p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sUq_EkSXk6Q/YUwPDmE8dKI/AAAAAAAADx0/NLtu7WF2f9Q_x-N9KnVvJ-tSi3zIKamfwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/september%2Bspree%2B2021%2B%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sUq_EkSXk6Q/YUwPDmE8dKI/AAAAAAAADx0/NLtu7WF2f9Q_x-N9KnVvJ-tSi3zIKamfwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/september%2Bspree%2B2021%2B%25284%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>The
nearest Spirit store had some alright stuff </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">just
not</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> the one thing I would
buy without any concern for price. Menards basically hadn’t added
anything new since August, Lowe’s was down to broken display models
for some of their items, </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">though
there were some nice battery op torices.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
Michael's appeared to have been besieged by the tazmanian devil
though they at least promised to be restocked down the line. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Yet
even with these lackluster showings I still managed to find a decent
selection of items</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>Ending our journey were two grocery stops where a plethora of
seasonal items were nabbed up. While the primary reason for visiting
Kroger was the new Thrashed Apple Mtn Dew it oddly served as the
location for buying new string lights. Local hotspot, Horrocks served
as the spot to stock up on pumpkin ale along with Halloween Gummi
Worms and Pumpkin Spice Malt Balls. On the ale front Sam Adams Jack-O
is probably the front-runner so far this year. That could easily
change once if Southern Tier finally shows up.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>As
you can tell we managed to bring home a lot of goodies, even if they
weren’t the ones I planed on getting, and in the process spent far
less than I imagined. That’s where the beauty of this event started
to shine through. We often get so bogged down and complacent by
having shopping constantly at our fingertips that we forget the real
hunt of just going hog-wiled. The point of the spree isn’t to spend
a ton, though that is a possibility. T</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">he
point is to get out there and shop like it’s the 20</span><sup><span style="font-weight: normal;">th</span></sup><span style="font-weight: normal;">
century. Hit up so many stores your feet ache. Search high and low to
see what’s out </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">there</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
Give those items you’ve often passed over a shot at the limelight.
The September spree isn’t so much about buying a shitload so much
as acting like you’re going too, and rewarding the stores that make
living large an actual possibility.</span></p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yzXiQOg6Vdk/YUwPKmh2q7I/AAAAAAAADx4/2Hjm6VuYj64TLPpBgvpsqlMgCcztSp-tACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/september%2Bspree%2B2021%2B%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yzXiQOg6Vdk/YUwPKmh2q7I/AAAAAAAADx4/2Hjm6VuYj64TLPpBgvpsqlMgCcztSp-tACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/september%2Bspree%2B2021%2B%25283%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>Obviously your mileage for something like the September spree could
be far less than mine. No doubt many of you did such crazy things as
having kids or getting married which ties up some funds. Do yourself
a favor though and take some of your fun cash and just go on a big
ole shopping tour with it. You’ll likely still have some at the end
of the day along with something you never expected. That’s the sort
of surprise that makes life a bit more fun.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>For
those interested I’ll try to recreate the full list of goodies:
Deadpool Minibus 2, Campaign Manager 2008, Keyforge Age of Acension
Starter, teal craft pumpkin, groundbreaking skeleton, pumpkin love
coffee, candies, cloth folding coffin, more candy, beetle decoration,
Pumpkin Spice Maltballs, upwards of 16 bottles of pumpkin ale,
gorgonzola cheese, string lights, pumpkin torches, Mtn Dew, Cookies,
Dove chocolate, and a reminder to pace myself on all that sugar.
Consider this along with past September posts as an example f what
can happen when you just let yourself shop freely.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>That’s enough commercialism for tonight. Next time I’ll bring
you guys something a bit more wholesome and down to Earth. Right now
I’m stuck indoors with the pounding of rain as a constant
companion. Guess it’s time to dig out more decorations and start
planning this years mood fixture. Gonna leave tables behind this year
so keep an eye out for that. Hope you’re all adventuring and
finding new ways to inspire that spooky spirit.</p>Justin Passickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17507223613265525734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4140446227055533955.post-45940509874099294422021-09-15T02:34:00.010-07:002021-09-15T02:34:40.563-07:00Halloween Snack Report 2021: Part 1<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CDzDuXIR-nc/YUG96ftC6EI/AAAAAAAADxc/5TRrP0JaMlw3dqSZ_8hsbFcAEjiGCW4CwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Halloween%2BSnack%2BReport%2BPart%2B1%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CDzDuXIR-nc/YUG96ftC6EI/AAAAAAAADxc/5TRrP0JaMlw3dqSZ_8hsbFcAEjiGCW4CwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Halloween%2BSnack%2BReport%2BPart%2B1%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>For years I have set the official
start of fall right around this point in September. This is </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">thanks</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
to the last major town festival which serves as a final outlet for
local yaboos to get their </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">last</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
traces of summer crazy outta their system and return to proper
living. Last year this important passage was missing since covid
prevented any such social events but this September marked a…
triumphant? Well some kind of return and now it’s over and true
blue, honest to god fall is finally here! </span>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Welcome
then to the best part of each and every year otherwise known as the
last third of it. No doubt the new job has made it tougher to keep up
with regular posting but the months that comprise fall and early
winter are just too damn wonderful to miss out on. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">As
mentioned in a previous post that likely means more frequent but
smaller updates from now through new years. There’s some good stuff
on deck too with several posts already in utero.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
In that spirit let’s do our first of likely several snack reports.
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">As l</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">l</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">ck
would have it we’ve already encountered several of the heavy
hitters for the </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Halloween
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">season such as Shrieker
Skittles and Apple Cider Donut Oreo Cookies </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">but
today we’re gonna look at the major shining stars of spook season
2021. </span>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>For
the third Halloween in a row Mtn Dew has blessed us with y</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">t</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">t
another mystery flavor soda to sooth our </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">frightful</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
thirsts. Right off the bat there’s a shift towards a darker blue
motif for the packaging</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">that
conveys a different mood without losing that classic haunted house
flair. Sure I give the dew art department lots of props as us but
this one is without a doubt one of their absolute masterpieces. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">From
the calming teal to dark blue with spots of yellow all wrapped around
the usual grim reaper figure and his bat & spider cohorts,
everything looks like a classic beistle diecut with just enough of
that </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">obnoxious</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
bro vibe to keep it distinct. </span>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Of
course this wouldn’t be a proper Voodew edition without the mystery
flavor. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">There’s a split
opinion on the intended flavor with some family members </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">believing</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
this is Runts candy in soda form. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Meanwhile
I’ve seen some folks online stake their claim on Starburst candy.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
To an extent I can see why someone would think </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">either
of those but f</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">or my part I
believe this is actually cotton candy. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">It’s
scent base flavor, even the softly fading aftertaste all scream
cotton goodness to me.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>Is Voodew III any good though? Absolutely. Hard to saw after so long
between each entry but I think this may be my favorite Voodew so far
and I’d love it to come back as a regular flavor (along with Pitch
Black and a dozen others). It’s smooth, properly refreshing with
little to no gack aspect. Rating wise this is at least a 4.5 and
totally deserving of a place in everyone’s Halloween shrine, aka
fridge.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Those
nuts over at Dew didn’t settle on merely one specialty flavor for
the season. There’s actually 3 once you count the weird blue one at
Applebees, but for the moment I’m talking about the Kroger
exclusive Thrashed Apple. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Talk
about a pairing way too long in the making. Dew has been infused with
nearly every major fruit by this point yet somehow it took all this
time to finally get an apple variety. Frankly I blame white people
for the delay. Ya notice Mexico’s got plenty of apple soda. Social
theories aside this was a majorly exciting product which was only
more </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">impressive</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
by being pushed out alongside the new Voodew. So how’s it stack up?</span></p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ha5fSFpw44g/YUG-CtSgoEI/AAAAAAAADxg/VfJTLmbMLl8LgVvw3dwRPrYVmtLcLoQ_ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Halloween%2BSnack%2BReport%2BPart%2B1%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ha5fSFpw44g/YUG-CtSgoEI/AAAAAAAADxg/VfJTLmbMLl8LgVvw3dwRPrYVmtLcLoQ_ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Halloween%2BSnack%2BReport%2BPart%2B1%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>Starting
with the looks there’s a whole character motif going on here,
something I believe is company wide as the new Voltage package also
has a new character. Here’s we’ve got some rock and roller apples
and a whole lotta green. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Can’t
help but think the whole thing would have looked better with a few
traces of fall colors but what’s here is still nice. In a direct
comparison to Voodew however this just looks like the goofy middle
child whose going through a phase.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>When
it comes to flavor this is pure candy water. Stopping just shy of
being outright melted jolly rancher there’s still that </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">distinctive</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
hard candy tinge to the taste. Can’t deny it’s refreshing and
unique though. Being so sweet helps to set it apart from other apple
sodas and there’s no other Dew quite like it. This is the sort of
thing where I wouldn’t mind it coming back into our lives every now
and then but it hasn’t quite earned a top spot. Let’s say a 3.5
rating. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Still a huge win to
have two awesome sugary drinks this season.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Undoubtedly
the biggest snack launch this fall has got to be Monster Mash cereal.
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">It’d be polite to say the
Monster Cereals brand has been slacking the past few years by doing
just the bare minimum to stay in the spotlight. Probably the last
truly notable exploit was the card game in 2018. For 2021 General
Mills got off the couch, combed the crumbs from their beard, and
actually did something worthwhile by creating a new cereal based on
the bones of all the old ones.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Packaging
is good, not great, but good. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Gonna
end up sounding mean about this one, which is a shame since I
honestly do like the whole monsters coming together as a band motif.
It’s just that it all feels a little small too focused.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
Clean retro design has it’s place for sure but this novelty record
looking cover art for Monster Mash doesn’t live up to the epic
promise of all five of our heroes joining forces. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">At
least let us see the venue these guys are jamming at. Don’t leave
them stranded in some endless black void like an anime character who
can’t sort out their feels.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>I’ve
not taken the time to catalog which pieces of Munster Mash hail from
which of the individual monster cereals but I can confirm there’s a
bit of everybody in here, most importantly my precious Yummy Mummy.
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">The combined taste is both a
little bit of everything yet all of nothing all at once. At first I
was a little disappointed by the non-committal nature of this grab
bag of flavors. A couple days later however found </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">me
suffering from an incredible hunger with no real craving for anything
in particular</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">. In that
mindset Monster Mash suddenly took on a new life. That’s when I
realized it’s true use.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>We
all have those blah moments even during our favorite season. Maybe
work took too much out of us or we woke up to a rush of chores. Those
days can leave us wanting to do something seasonal but lacking for
inspiration. That’s when Monster Mash swoops in for the rescue by
providing us a little bit of everything when we have no idea what we
actually want. In essence this is the Halloween mood stabilizer all
of us could use in a pinch. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Based
on its own merits as a cereal it maybe merits a 3 out of five but as
a lifesaver for spooky season it’s invaluable. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Even
better is that it’s one of those rare cereal that’s actually good
when eaten dry. Just reach on in and see which monster flavors you
pull back.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>Gotta
say this is one of the better years for snacks in recent memory. It’s
great to see so many companies </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">pumping
out the hits to help set the world back on track. These three are
standing on top at the moment but there’s still so many treats to
talk about, just wait till yall see the results of the September
spree. Gonna do my damnedest to not fall behind since this season’s
shaping up so nicely. Mostly I want to support all your festive
spirits in the hope that you’ll return the favor. We’ve been
given the opportunity to get back to celebrating the season the right
way so let’s not waste it.</span></p>Justin Passickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17507223613265525734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4140446227055533955.post-33809418517679179052021-08-31T21:23:00.004-07:002021-08-31T21:23:17.301-07:00Ultraman Taro Series Review<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TXHyHLGqmAU/YS7_4tFiMHI/AAAAAAAADxM/zmaCQxHVmnINMDWOOoyqvxtO7rmHNXDMgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Ultraman%2BTaro%2BSeries%2BReview%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TXHyHLGqmAU/YS7_4tFiMHI/AAAAAAAADxM/zmaCQxHVmnINMDWOOoyqvxtO7rmHNXDMgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Ultraman%2BTaro%2BSeries%2BReview%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;"><span> </span>We’re fast approaching the moment
when all of us fully agree that summer is properly over. Of course
we’ve made inroads toward that already what with school getting
back in swing yet each of us still has our own special marker for
when our minds fully shift into the realm of pumpkin spice and tissue
ghosts. After being </span><span style="font-style: normal;">canceled</span><span style="font-style: normal;">
last year my def</span><span style="font-style: normal;">a</span><span style="font-style: normal;">cto
</span><span style="font-style: normal;">switchover</span><span style="font-style: normal;">,
the final town festival, is right around the bend. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">As
usual I like to have something of a segway piece, something </span><span style="font-style: normal;">with
its feet planted in the daffy action heavy attitude of summer yet
with a touch of spooky and foreboding. Wouldn’t ya know that things
lined up just right for an Ultraman review.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"> </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span> </span>Ultraman
Taro took a side step from preceding shows by opting for a lighter,
more family friendly, tone. The themes were things like fairy tales,
music, motherhood, that sorta thing. It’s still tokusatsu so
there’s plenty of sad stories to go around just with an extra
helping of rainbows and cartoonish antics to offset those dark
moments. Honestly it’s a breath of fresh air after watching
multiple shows adhering to largely the same formula. Just consider
how instead of doing a seasonal horror section the show opts for a
sequence of episodes based on nursery rhymes. The downside is that
the show can feel too simplistic and meaningless but the upside is
the extra dose of weirdness that can result from a more childish
</span><span style="font-style: normal;">approach</span><span style="font-style: normal;">
to the subject matter.</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Our
hero this time around is an energetic lad called Kotaro Higashi. Guy
grew up an orphan only to become something of an odd job journeyman.
When we first met him he’s working as a sailor which is what
eventually ends up getting him a living space as his captain invites
him to saty with the fam. Throughout the series Kotaro displays a
good deal more personality than his predecessors. He’s a bit more
lively, immature, and fun-loving. Early on he has some dream of being
a boxer though that fades out with little fanfare. Plus his mommy
issues are only sorta half-resolved. I get the feeling that the actor
portraying Kotaro isn’t quite as good as some earlier Ultra dudes
but having a more defined personality really helps to set him and the
show itself apart from the pack.</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>The
supporting cast is sort of a strange case this time around. For the
most part the usual assortment of personalities and roles are filled
yet Taro has a higher amount of cast-changes and character
disappearances. The monster fighting team for this series, ZAT, has
at least two character swaps along with a commanding officer who will
vanish for vast stretches, think he slipped away for upwards of 16-17
episodes at one point only to be around for 1 or 2 before fading into
the background once again. One team member is introduced in like the
final three episodes, it’s so odd. In what I believe is a first for
the series a character is actually recast around the episode 20 mark.
That level of turnaround tends to make shows feel a bit slapdash
though it doesn’t become a huge problem thanks to the lighthearted,
anything goes, tone.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"> </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span> </span>All
behind the scenes drama aside how is this crop of </span><span style="font-style: normal;">heroes</span><span style="font-style: normal;">?
</span><span style="font-style: normal;">Let’s start on the home
front. As far as kid sidekicks are concerned, Kenichi is one of the
better ones. He actually seems like he has a good head on his
shoulders and tries to be useful. His older sister, and love interest
for Kotaro, Saori is sadly forgettable. Oddly enough both of them
fade into the background during the back end of the series.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"> <span> </span>As
for the ZAT crew the character shifting makes it hard for many of
them to endure themselves to the audience. The ones that manage to
stand out are lead by Aragaki. Though he’s just a lieutenant he
ends up serving as commander for much of the series yet his laid back
nature makes sets him apart as a fun boss. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">The
primary lady of the team is Moriyama who will stand out to male
viewers due to being cute as a button and having some kicking legs.
Finally there’s Kitajima who at first fills the role of goofy guy
and works his way up to sensitive best bud for Kotaro. To be honest I
lost track of many of the other characters.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"> </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span> </span>Technically
there’s one more wing of supporting cast thanks to an increased
amount of Ultra cameos. That’s right; every past hero from Zoffy to
Ace comes round at least once or twice along with the addition of
Mother of Ultra. The audience finally gets to visit the land of light
and there’s some other surprise guest spots I won’t dare spoil.</span></p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pOPvBDy66qQ/YS8ABKa0h0I/AAAAAAAADxQ/MjemQW8ZLncVwnK94BdwXKrbY030XYCUwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Ultraman%2BTaro%2BSeries%2BReview%2B%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pOPvBDy66qQ/YS8ABKa0h0I/AAAAAAAADxQ/MjemQW8ZLncVwnK94BdwXKrbY030XYCUwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Ultraman%2BTaro%2BSeries%2BReview%2B%25283%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Taro
is without a doubt a step up from Ace. Despite whatever flaws the
silly tone might bring with it the show knows what it wants to be and
holds true to that course as much as it can. There are still shifts
ins style throughout the show thanks to the changing cast and an
occasional return to what feels like the Ultra Q anthology approach
with some episodes having almost nothing to do with Kotaro and ZAT.
Even with those detours the show never losses sight of what it is,
nor does it try to copy exactly what came before. Even the ending is
far different than usual for an Ultra show of this era, leaving off
on a more humanistic note. I’d definitely rank this show lower than
the major classics like Ultraseven, probably lower even than Return
of Ultraman, but given how much better it is than Ace, and how much
consistent it is than Q I’d still recommend it to most toku fans.
For newbies there are so many other good options to take on first
though this one has a few extra nutty episodes worth checking out on
the side.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"> <span> </span>This
time around I was downright </span><span style="font-style: normal;">negligent</span><span style="font-style: normal;">
and failed to keep a running tally of highlight episodes, opting to
just see how it all shook out in the end. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">You’ll
forgive me then if this list comes out a little scattershot. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">In
viewing order h</span><span style="font-style: normal;">ere’s </span><span style="font-style: normal;">four</span><span style="font-style: normal;">
adventures that stuck with me.</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Episode
11: The Vampire Flower is a Girl’s Spirit</b></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Easily
the first episode to really stand out thanks to a combination of
horror and the series theme of orphans. Not only Tokyo under attack
from blood-sucking plants but a little girl may be the one to blame
for it all. There’s some solid emotional stuff here along with a
properly spooky ending.</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Episode
20: Surprise! A Monster Fell From the Sky</b></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Another
one that touches on parenthood, mothers in particular this time
concerning a baby monster that feel to Earth and it’s mothers
efforts to retrieve it. Contrasted against that is the drama of a
woman nearly mad with grief over the loss of her child.</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Episode
42: The Phantom Mother is a Monster Master</b></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>One
of my favorite things about the Ultra franchise is what a story goes
sad crazy. I don’t mean being extra depressing, though I love that
too, but when a story is nuts and driven by a sense of sadness. We
have an almost perfect example of such a story right here with a man
recreating his dead wife as a robot who then manipulates a monster
into getting revenge on cars. Equal parts daffy and dark make for one
excellent half-hour of television.</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Episode
44: Oh! Taro’s Going to be Eaten</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><b> </b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>It’s
beginning to feel like every series of this franchise has a set goal
for one extra crazy episode that has to top everything that came
before it. Ace had jumped into the lead with a Christmas story
focused on ocular trauma but Taro slaps that aside with this bonkers
tale of </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">ogres</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
and beans. Everything here is just plan crazy from the sounds,
editing, emotional whiplash, and bizarre final battle </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">involving
a vicious clubbing. Can’t even tell you the workout the rewind
button got with this treat of weirdness.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>And
with that we can mark the end of CosmicSparky’s summer. Got a busy
few days ahead but then I’m rearing to get the next season kicked
into high gear, and I think the weather’s in agreement. Looks like
it could be a big Halloween with some stores and brands really
pumping out a lot of cool stuff and those lovely vaccinations making
it just a bit easier to get out and about. You all stay safe out
there and I’ll be back next week to kick off the season in style.</span></span></p>Justin Passickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17507223613265525734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4140446227055533955.post-52731128928488951372021-08-19T22:56:00.001-07:002021-08-19T22:56:03.136-07:00Snack Report August 2021<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HrI0OVfN4IM/YR9DP6Ce4gI/AAAAAAAADwg/GQG7DTAG_rAM_zKjK1C_LEeSYhjh14wzQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Snack%2BReport%2BAugust%2B2021%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HrI0OVfN4IM/YR9DP6Ce4gI/AAAAAAAADwg/GQG7DTAG_rAM_zKjK1C_LEeSYhjh14wzQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Snack%2BReport%2BAugust%2B2021%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Life of late </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">still
feels very rushed. In the weeks since our last post I’ve put
together more furniture, complete</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">d</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
more home improvements, seen a dog join and then leave the household,
oh and I’m an assistant manager now. One could say I’m in need of
a vacation though lord knows I hate those so fingers crossed things
start to settle down around here. Still; change seems to be in the
air damn near everywhere, including</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
the snack aisle where summer fare is giving way to fall flavors and
new discoveries. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">I actually
came across new Halloween candy at the tail end of July</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Before I’m overloaded with
pumpkin spice and maple it’s probably best we do a new snack
report.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Seeing
as this post is woefully behind schedule and I’ve been overloaded
with new snacks, a lot of these reviews are going to be rapid fire
affairs. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">I’m talking
stream of </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">consciousness</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
stuff here just to see if it’s possible to cover everything. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
addition of several fall and spooky items means this also counts as
our first step into the most sacred season of the whole year. Without
further pomp let’s get this mother rolling.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Cheez-It Snap’d
BBQ, Parmesan Ranch, Smoked Bacon Cheddar</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>The
Snap’d line from Cheez-It was already a big winner with just their
basic flavors but never one to rest the company decided to </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">pump</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
out some new </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">goods</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
presumably for a limited time. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
Parmesan Ranch variety was alright, decent enough as a limited item
but not totally deserving of a permanent spot in the line. Bacon
Cheddar was a step up by offering the flavoring of TGI Fridays Potato
Skins without the mouth-shredding texture. Without a doubt the big
winner was BBQ </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">with just the
right balance of smoke, sweet, and crunchy. I’d advise picking up
all three if possible but if you’re bound by a tight wallet at
least nab some BBQ.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Hostess Sundae
Cupcakes</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b> </b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>For
some odd reason the new batches of Hostess goodies are getting harder
to find in this area. At the very least I was able to find these
Sundae Cupcakes once, just once mind you. Overall they’re not all
that different from traditional cupcakes with that fatty/chemical
Hostess allure. Still decent enough for a lunch item.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Little Debbie
Jelly Creme Pies</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b> </b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Out
of freaking nowhere I came across a Little Debbie variety I’d never
seen nor heard of. The concept involves a sort of cross-breading of
the companies cherry cordials, crème pies, and a spot of strawberry
jelly. The result is so damn tasty. Like this is easily one of
Debbie’s finest accomplishments in recent years </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">and
yet it’s completely under the radar. So far I’ve only seen these
at Wal-Mart so you may have to venture there to find em. Of course if
you’re anything like me a regular wally-world snack trip is
penciled in somewhere on the calendar.</span></p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DdCm4ZEE-3c/YR9DWmNF4UI/AAAAAAAADwk/hKHzzqfYYpELblJ5kSFEyMpydVr9G1wVACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Snack%2BReport%2BAugust%2B2021%2B%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DdCm4ZEE-3c/YR9DWmNF4UI/AAAAAAAADwk/hKHzzqfYYpELblJ5kSFEyMpydVr9G1wVACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Snack%2BReport%2BAugust%2B2021%2B%25283%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Shrieker Skittles</b></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>Expanding on the concept leftover from zombie skittles these new
shriekers have random sour candies riddled throughout each bag. What
makes this sort of fun is how the sour level somewhat depends on
whatever the original flavor was meant to be. In my personal
experience the sour green apple pieces seem to take the title for top
pucker power.</p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>These are a major improvement over zombie skittles in nearly every
way. The package design is clean yet festive, sour candy is a much
easier sell than rotten corpse flavor, and the base flavors are good
to boot. My personal level of repeat purchases is gonna come down to
how crazy this season gets but so far these make for a damn fine
start to spooky shenanigans. About the only issue is that the random
sour spikes can give you a craving for consistently sour candy. I’d
say at least a four out of five.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Cookies &
Scream M&M’s</b></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>On the more comforting end of Halloween candy are cookies and
scream. Gotta give some props to the design team on this packaging.
It manages to walk the line between clean modern aesthetic and
classic Halloween with good use of colors. The taste isn’t all that
nutty or unique but the execution is solid and satisfying. It’s
actually pretty easy to curb your sweet-tooth with a quick handful.
Another excellent early entry in this years Halloween offerings. Four
outta five, easy.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Turkey Hill BBQ
Cracklin Strips</b></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>Alright so these aren’t new items per-say but they’re new to me
and my continuing quest to find the best cracklin. The bbq flavor
adds a fun twist to the base cracklin but in this case it’s a
little too sweet and falls short of being quality pork snacks.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Bavarian Meats</b></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>Another odd surprise these bavarian meats may be the best mass
market meat sticks I’ve ever come across. Salty, meaty, and earthy
in just the right mix with an excellent texture that begins with a
crisp snap of the casing. Problem is I haven’t found them anywhere
closer than a gas station 30 miles away. Still; if any of you jerky
lovers see em in the wild there’s a great treat.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Bombay Sapphire
Raspberry Blackberry Gin</b></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>Recently I’ve started to scour the novelties of the booze aisle
like peanut butter whiskey (stay away from it) and this new offshoot
of Bombay Sapphire. They’ve taken the classic gin and infused it
with berries. Sound’s like a guaranteed winner o what’s the final
result? Well it’s sorta like good robitussim. Not really bad
per-say, just not living up to its potential. The real trick is
having the right drink to mix it with as it pairs especially well
with tea. Very much a novelty item though that will only please a
handful of people.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Little Debbie
Unicorn Cakes</b></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>Lord knows what dark ritual initiated the incessant wave of unicorn
and mermaid themed items that have clogged up shelves over the past
few years but the fact remains that I can’t resist a shiny new
snack cake. Sadly the actual item is fairly generic overall with
little outside of their presentation to separate them from other
snack cakes. They taste good enough but you’re not missing anything
by giving em a pass.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R_OBr-BEBA0/YR9Dg66I6BI/AAAAAAAADws/bb6sZVyYbMAsFq9QnnpbVGTfHKp17k9NwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Snack%2BReport%2BAugust%2B2021%2B%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R_OBr-BEBA0/YR9Dg66I6BI/AAAAAAAADws/bb6sZVyYbMAsFq9QnnpbVGTfHKp17k9NwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Snack%2BReport%2BAugust%2B2021%2B%25284%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Japanese
Kit-Kats: Orange and Crushed Almond & Cranberry</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>When
it comes to Kit-Kats and Doritos nobody outdoes Japan. The land of
Kaiju never ceases to come up with new varieties of these American
snack staples </span><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">while
the parent companies leave us in the dust. The occasional trip to an
Asian grocer or world market can help close the gap however which is
how I got my mitts on two different Kit-Kats from afar. </span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span> </span>Orange Kit-Kat reminds me of what those Terry’s Chocolate Oranges
might be like if they didn’t suck. Not only is the flavor balanced
much better but the additional element of crunchy wafer helps it all
go down smooth. The big find however is the Crushed Almond &
Cranberry Kit-Kat which manage to prove that candy can in fact taste
classy. It’s not too fruity, or nutty, or chocolaty, just this
glorious blend of sweet and comforting.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="text-decoration: none;">Puchao
Gummy Candy.</span></b></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>I’ve crossed paths with Puchao countless times yet always managed
to skip over them thanks to timing, budget, what have you. Not making
that mistake any longer. Not only is are the fruity flavors quite
satisfying but the texture, that’s what sells it for a fan of chewy
stuff. They work so well thanks to the two separate candy elements,
one being the outer gummy with spongy beads inside. They’re a lot
of fun and their individually wrapped presentation makes em perfect
for work.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Pocky Tasty</b></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>Tasty isn’t exactly the most detailed flavor description so you’re
likely wondering the same thing as me, what are these? Basically
think of em as deluxe pocky. They use ingredients like charred milk
and fermented butter to offer a richer version of traditional pocky.
The biscuit stick is a little thicker as well. These touches may not
sound like anything all that special but it adds up to a very
different experience than traditional Pocky. Problem is these don’t
quite scratch that casual snack itch the same way regular Pocky does.
In a way it’s almost too refined for it’s own good.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Zapps Evil Eye
Potato Chips</b></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>Been a big fan of Zapp’s chips for a few years now, still hold the
opinion that Gator Tators are the ultimate sandwich topping. These
Evil Eye chips came out quite some time ago with it wasn’t until a
few weeks ago that I finally found some. They whole idea is that
they’re a hot, spicy, Cajun treat but the proved to be a bit
divisive in the family. I personally found em underwhelming, couldn’t
even describe much of the taste to you. My nephew on the other hand
openly declares these as his favorite potato chip. So these are
either totally forgettable or a mana straight from heaven.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KhU0dwNm-ks/YR9DqQBGihI/AAAAAAAADw0/ovE4cewdTUYM6ICOdKoY4ESApHSiL0r7wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Snack%2BReport%2BAugust%2B2021%2B%25285%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KhU0dwNm-ks/YR9DqQBGihI/AAAAAAAADw0/ovE4cewdTUYM6ICOdKoY4ESApHSiL0r7wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Snack%2BReport%2BAugust%2B2021%2B%25285%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Bakerly French
Pancakes</b></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>Here’s an odd one. Bags of pre-made, room temp, pancakes you can
bust out whenever you want. No special flavors, fairly simple
ingredients list. It’s on tap pancake and that’s just fucking
tits. Sure I’ve had better overall pancakes, and bigger ones no
doubt, but the sheer convenience if this item is unrivaled. You don’t
even need to microwave em if you’d feel like it. Just grab one
outta the bag.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Fruity Cereal
Kit-Kat</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Not
to be completely outdo</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">ne</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
by Japan, the U.S. branch of Kit-Kat unleashes their third or fourth
flavor of the year with the new fruity cereal </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">variety.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Honestly these are pretty
solid, though I’m not sure if they’re as good as the Key Lime
ones that are still readilly available. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Gotta
call them </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">out</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
on a big booboo </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">though</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
The package shows a ring shaped cereal like Fruit Loops but these are
way more Fruity </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Pebbles with
that pronounced coriander flavor. If you’re a pebbles fiend
definitely give these a go.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Lays Cheetos and
Funyuns Potato Chips</b></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>Lays went deep into corporate synergy territory this Summer with a
trio of chips flavored like other snacks. The Cool Ranch Doritos
variety continues to elude me which is a shame as one of these is
absolutely phenomenal. Let’s start with the less successful version
then, Funyuns.
</p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>Full disclosure; I hate funyuons, always have. Dusting a chip with
that flavor was always gonna be an uphill battle. By themselves these
are pretty much pointless as they don’t do enough of any one thing
to stand out nor do they manage to really work as a regular chip with
that sweet and pissy onion taste. However they’re fairly decent on
a sandwich and thus not entirely without merit. That being said my
usual ratings would leave this somewhere around a two out of five.</p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>Cheetos Potato Chips on the other hand, oh my god these chips. Lays
had somewhere taken the experience of licking the Cheetos power off
ones fingers and translated that perfectly onto a chip. It’s
lunacy, possibly outright sorcery, but goddamn is it ever tasty.
That’s a five outta five for those bad boys.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Dolce De Louche
Toast Crunch</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b> </b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Nearly
forgot about this one but don’t take that as a comment on its
quality. The troubled history of caramel and dolce cereals is well
documented with most efforts missing the mark. This one though is
some good shit. There’s enough of the original toast crunch taste
to even out the dolce elements in order to make a tasty and
satisfying cereal. I’d actually like to see these stick around as
they’re one of the better toast crunch spin-offs. </span>
</p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--8rDFmFpZQU/YR9Dzkyk3rI/AAAAAAAADw8/12Uqx9TwGKQSpO9t1fzutwDakC11wp6AQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Snack%2BReport%2BAugust%2B2021%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--8rDFmFpZQU/YR9Dzkyk3rI/AAAAAAAADw8/12Uqx9TwGKQSpO9t1fzutwDakC11wp6AQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Snack%2BReport%2BAugust%2B2021%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Salted Caramel
Brownie Oreo</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b> </b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Talk
about one that nearly got away. I passed these up the first time I
saw em because I was already buried in sugary treats only to see them
vanish from shelves. Weeks later one of the local stores had the good
sense to restock at least a little. The wait was absolutely worth it
too as, much like the Dolce De Louche Toast Crunch, show a marked
improvement in how companies are handling caramel items. I know
there’s a big group of salted caramel haters out there but the
wizards at Oreo found a way to make everyone happy by mixing in
brownies. The end result is something with that salty, burnt sugar
taste but with an excess of chocolate to keep everything in line. The
only weird part is that dipping the cookies in anything activates the
salt even more but they’re still damn good.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Apple Cider Donut
Oreo</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b> </b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Here’s
one of two items I picked mere hours ago. We’re talking first
impressions territory here. The new fall Oreo is too big a topic to
sit on though and it looks like they’ve got a real winner this
year. Only had one cookie so far sans milk or coffee and the
experience was rather surprising. Instead of tasting like a cider
flavored donut the whole thing come across more like what happens
when you dipp a donut into a proper class of cider. There’s even
more of a refreshing moisture component at work here. Can’t wait to
see how they fair with liquids but so far so good.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>MTN Dew Spark</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b> </b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Spark
actually came out summer of 2020, a lousy time for any product
launch, as a Speedway exclusive. Somebody was smart enough to give it
a second round for those of us who stayed away from people last year.
The whole idea is raspberry lemonade dew </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">which
sorta comes across as ruby red squirt mixed with dew. Only had about
a third of a bottle so far but as now it stands as a mid-tier Dew.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>At last I think I’m caught up on snacks. You may have noticed a
few items in the pictures I didn’t even talk about since there
hasn’t been time to try everything just yet. It’s time to start
making… time I guess. Updates have been sporadic to say the least
but we’re right on the cusp of spooky season and now way am I
letting that slip by. Most likely I’m gonna have to switch to
smaller but more frequent posts to pull that off though I don want to
talk about another Ultra series before we officially bring out the
pumpkins and bats, says the guy whose already been buying decorations
for a month and a half. Gotta get back to work on other thing but you
guys sound off. Lemme know what’s you’re looking forward to in
the next few months and any topics you’d like me to touch on.</p>Justin Passickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17507223613265525734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4140446227055533955.post-55717571340463175512021-07-16T00:09:00.005-07:002021-07-16T00:09:39.983-07:00Abandoned Stores and Super Furniture<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vziGXzku16Y/YPEwNzL9dpI/AAAAAAAADvs/O-gYxxQzLYELa19E0nHVtQfyV7h_eeYswCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Abandoned%2BStores%2Band%2BSuper%2BFurniture%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vziGXzku16Y/YPEwNzL9dpI/AAAAAAAADvs/O-gYxxQzLYELa19E0nHVtQfyV7h_eeYswCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Abandoned%2BStores%2Band%2BSuper%2BFurniture%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>The following tale is true. Only
the names and places have been altered or </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">omitted</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
to… basically just not to piss off any algorithms. The events
you’re about to read relate directly to my </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">recent</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
inability to keep this place updated in a timely manner. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">In
fact; the finishing touches of this post mark the first time I’ve
been able to sit down and write in weeks. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">For
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">roughly three</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
months now I’ve been back in the working world at a game store
learning the ins and outs of inputting stock, running events,
managing orders, daily sales, cleaning, and helping to set up the new
secondary location. See my boss managed to nab himself a unit in a
still lively mall and so I occasionally </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">spent</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
an extra day of work helping him get that location into fighting
shape. The first of such days involved a furniture hunt in the
strangest of places.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>During</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
the past couple decades a number of mall anchor store </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">chains</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
have gone belly-up. You know the sort of place I’m talking about.
High-priced department stores with perfume counters and the worst
hits of Celene Dion playing over the radio. When those places close
down there’s usually group that works on selling off the remaining
display racks, tables, even some of the electronics. In this case the
group that had done the final sell-off never finished and are
apparently never coming back. The mall in question wants this unit as
empty as possible for future development so new stores are encouraged
to scavenge whatever they want </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">so
long as they do most of it during off hours. Thus a few weeks ago I
along with several others set off into the dark, dank recesses of
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">forgotten</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">capitalism.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>If
you’ve never been inside a mall before </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">it
open</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">s</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
I highly recommend </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">the
experience</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">. There’s a
weird sense of comfort from strolling the vast halls before they fill
with people and noise. It’s almost like a little world made just
for you. Plus, unlike </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">early
morning</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> walks outside,
there’s a low chance of encountering wildlife. Of course that’s
the properly </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">lit</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
main section I’m talking about. The empty anchor store was another
matter entirely. Imagine a vast cold space that manages to have
infinite dark corners and mysteries to send the mind into overdrive.
Oh and poop… yea, we found some poop </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">in
the break room. Easily the most unsettling aspect of the store was
the freight elevator. Ya know the kind where you hear things moving
and shaking just by taking one step inside? Suffice to say after our
first ride we switched to send the furniture down and then using the
stairs. Of course said stairs only had lights at the top which meant
each trip involved a descent into a black abyss with the only source
of color being a wall filled with farewell messages from the former
store staff. </span>
</p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cwMypK41oM0/YPEwTyg2XJI/AAAAAAAADvw/y-EJzIluzuguEKIL6S9Q9Mtwll5MA6p_QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Abandoned%2BStores%2Band%2BSuper%2BFurniture%2B%25285%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cwMypK41oM0/YPEwTyg2XJI/AAAAAAAADvw/y-EJzIluzuguEKIL6S9Q9Mtwll5MA6p_QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Abandoned%2BStores%2Band%2BSuper%2BFurniture%2B%25285%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By all means, please go first.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span> </span> If there’s one sensation from this outing that will stick with me
it’s the odd mix of empowerment/semi-embarrassment felt when
rolling a several a hundred pound display shelf from one end of the
mall to the other while people shoot confused looks, though this did
provide ample opportunity to swing by the fine ladies at the pretzel
hut. Still; if you’re the sort that hates being the center of
attention I can imagine this being a form of corporal punishment.</p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>By this point you’re likely wondering if there’s any sort of
point to my ramblings and here it comes. Remember how eager the mall
was to empty out the anchor store? Well that meant it was totally
feasible to take out stuff that wasn’t necessarily meant for the
store. While we hoisted and rolled out different displays I kept my
peepers open for something that would come in handy at home, pending
it could actually make the journey. For the most part this
side-mission felt doomed. Turns out store furniture is heavy as all
hell with some pieces having crazy measurements to boot. There were
also a few items where I couldn’t fathom how it could ever be
useful. Near the end of our quest I’d almost given up on lofty
dreams of super furniture… but then I saw it. A light shone down
from the heavens upon a lonely item, the last of its kind, a
triple-layered Levi’s display table.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>I
can hear you shrugging across time and space. Surely you must be
wondering what is so damn special about branded jeans display table.
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Well here’s your answer.
As a gamer</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> I’ve struggled
with a two-front problem. One is board game storage, with the other
being a proper play space. I made progress on the storage front a few
years back via a sturdy shelf but in this display I could see both
needs met at once. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">At least
that’s how it seemed since I lacked a direct way to </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">fully</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
plan out how it might work. Given that this was a now or never sort
of situation I dragged this monster back to the store where it sat
for a few weeks before I could return to disassemble and move it back
home. </span>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Bringing
the table home commenced weeks of a different tasks piling up.
Everything from ikea runs, slatboard installation at the store (which
occurred after hours providing a totally different mall experience</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">)</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
sorting, cleaning, working, bookkeeping, </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">getting
a new dog</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">, birthdays,
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">helping people move, </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">on
and on. Now it’s finally starting to level of</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">f</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
and I have time to live again. What this means is that this is but
part one of our tale </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">as the
table’s arrival set-off the long overdue clean-up of our basement.
As it stands I’ve pieced together </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">eleven</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
piece</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">s</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
of furniture </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">in just over a
week </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">with </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">one
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">more </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">to
go and others potentially on the way</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
Yes this is sorta losing the point, it’s hard to elaborate on the
feeling of abandoned mall scouring a month after the fact, but know
that I’m back, I’m free, and I </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">now
have th</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">e</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
greatest gaming accessory known to man. Behold!</span></p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PdzKOiJw0kE/YPEwii79pmI/AAAAAAAADv4/-uzCpm1bcC8P_OzZAh2c91Fo6a3JRjPlgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Abandoned%2BStores%2Band%2BSuper%2BFurniture%2B%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PdzKOiJw0kE/YPEwii79pmI/AAAAAAAADv4/-uzCpm1bcC8P_OzZAh2c91Fo6a3JRjPlgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Abandoned%2BStores%2Band%2BSuper%2BFurniture%2B%25284%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Clocking
in at </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">the weight of a small
moon</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">, this triple tiered
terror houses a massive selection of gaming goodness with plenty of
play space. The huge boards of Formula D barely make a dent on this 3
by 5 behemoth while leaving room for a printer and photo-scanner.
Plus cats love the damn thing. They climb behind the games or hop up
top to cool their bellies on the smooth top. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">We
couldn’t resist taking one of the old dvd shelves from another
project and using it as a side area for cards and small games. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Sure
I’ve been half-crippled from project like this but the results are
just sheer beauty.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>As
I’ve noted this is just the start of our tale. All this home
improvement is the perfect excuse for some posts about books, games
(both video and tabletop), along with a small sojourn that resulted
in the first Halloween decorations for the year, </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">oh
and German food</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">. Basically
after a month that almost felt like a year I’m back and there’s
plenty to talk about. And yes, if you couldn’t tell, this post
itself has mutated multiple times since I started writing it. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Still;
it feels outstanding to be back and I hope you’ll stick around as I
whip the site back into shape while we slowly ease outta summer and
into the best months of the year. For now just watch this space for
either a snack report, event report, or aimless ramblings about book
collecting. See you all soon.</span></p>Justin Passickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17507223613265525734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4140446227055533955.post-58186140411058536372021-06-17T23:16:00.011-07:002021-06-17T23:18:00.914-07:00Snack Report: June 2021<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b7bCrkM0s9g/YMw51TYcBgI/AAAAAAAADu4/gUUrAJN73osKub5fHLG_dkHpCv84qxpfACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Snack%2BReport%2BJune%2B2021%2B%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b7bCrkM0s9g/YMw51TYcBgI/AAAAAAAADu4/gUUrAJN73osKub5fHLG_dkHpCv84qxpfACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Snack%2BReport%2BJune%2B2021%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>Life of recent has felt like some kind of hallucination. Why just a
few months ago it was totally expected of me to stay home, avoid
people, and generally do whatever to fill the time. Now I’m
working, shopping, just last week I moved furniture out of an
abandoned Younkers (details to come). You few faithful readers have
undoubtedly noticed this has effected the blogging schedule. To some
extent that comes down to simply not having trained myself to
reallocate time for it. The other issue comes with articles like
today's where enough has happened in a relatively short time that
something I ate a week ago feels like some phantom memory. Consider
this a warning then that this newest snack report is likely to read
more like a stream-of-consciousness exercise than a regular blog
post.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Reese’s Big Cup
with Pretzels and Reese's Peanut Butter Lovers </b>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Reese’s recently
went on a bender, introducing different variations of peanut butter
fandom to their fabled candy. There’s one with a half-chocolate
outer coating, one with an all peanut butter approach, and a big’n
with pretzels. Over the past couple of months I’ve had all three
and can safely say meh to the first, yum to the second, and something
more complicated for the third. See… the balance for the big cup is
simply off. Having such a large cup provides a higher amount of
peanut butter without an equal increase in chocolate. Adding to the
problem is whatever brand of pretzel they used is just too dry and
salty to perfectly blend with the other flavors. It’s not bad but
anyone who’s had this sort of thing before know it can be done
better. Can’t see any of the three lasting long term. Their alright
with peanut butter lovers being the most successful.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Red Bull Summer
Edition Dragon Fruit</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>By this point in
time Red Bull is essentially the local tourist trap of the energy
drink market, in the sense that it’s always there but you only pay
attention to it on special occasions. Since summer is back in swing
it’s time for a new seasonal offering laced with the flavor of one
of my favorite fruits. There is a good amount of dragon fruit flavor
here, with a fairly pleasant smell to match. The problem is that when
this is mixed with red bulls energy formula it ends up tasting a bit
like perfume. Maybe deserving of a 2 or 2.5 rating.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Nutter Butter
Wafers</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>God help me I know
these aren’t new, and I may have even had them before, but upon
seeing Nutter Butter Wafers in store I was struck by this sudden bout
of amnesia/paranoia. Have these always been and no one bothered to
tell me? Had they simply slipped my mind? Or had I found myself in
another dimension where Nutter Butter’s were given the attention
they deserve? Whatever the case these sheets of wafer and peanut
butter quickly won me over. While not quite as good as Vortman Wafers
these still provide excellent peanut butter taste with a satisfying
mouth feel. Plus you can totally pretend each sheet is edible wall
insulation. On that novelty alone it earns a 3.5 outta 5.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Lays Wavy Jerk
Chicken Potato Chips</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Lay’s unleashed
several new potato chip flavors this summer though I’ve been
inundated with enough potato snacks that I’ve only managed to
sample this one so far. Gotta say if the others are even close to
this one than we’re in for a tasty season.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Packaging is
colorful and wild. The scent almost a combo of lite jerky and dare I
say fresh vegetables? It actually manages to taste like the exterior
of a chicken breast that’s been cooked just after being smothered
in dry spices. It’s the damnedest thing but they almost taste
healthy which we all know isn’t the case. Definitely not gonna be
for everyone but for those who like this sorta thing it’s an easy 4
out of 5.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1k3YkBdhOpM/YMw57rPhdDI/AAAAAAAADu8/aKbukPTtY_89YQj4l1iIX4S6PvWQJFMRwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Snack%2BReport%2BJune%2B2021%2B%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1k3YkBdhOpM/YMw57rPhdDI/AAAAAAAADu8/aKbukPTtY_89YQj4l1iIX4S6PvWQJFMRwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Snack%2BReport%2BJune%2B2021%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Ghostbusters
Afterlife Cereal</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> There was a time
when movie tie-in cereals weren’t much of a novelty. That is until
parents groups and nutritionalists brow beat the world into not
having fun. The occasional items pops out however tied to either the
newest Disney thing or as a means of tugging at nostalgia, which I
can’t help but feel is the case with this new Ghostbuster chow.
Can’t deny the box has that eye-catching quality though. Just like
the old Real Ghostbuers Cereal this black box just stands out among
the sea of brightly colored breakfast fare. As an actual food, well…
that’s a little more complicated,</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> Unlike the OG
Ralston stuff that modeled itself after monster cereals, this new
Afterlife edition is pretty much a lighter take on Berry Berry Kix
with marshmallows thrown in. The smell is bland though not entirely
unappealing. Individual pieces are a bit too resistance to milk.
Everything’s middle of the road. There’s just not much draw to
the cereal itself so much as the joy of having something Ghostbusters
themed again. Awsome packaging, ho-hum cereal, 2.5 rating for sure.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Meijer Bell’s
Oberon Bratwurst</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>In these parts
grocery ads use the arrival of Bell’s Oberon beer like it’s the
opening shot of basic bro summer. Indeed, every prairie boy around
demands an ample supply to fuel Saturday evenings of lawn-work and
singing Kid Rock lyrics by the fire. For those of us with taste and
ample hobbies Oberon is just an ok beer. That being said it’s
regional popularity makes these special beer brats a total
no-brainer. As a pork fiend I had to give em a shot though the end
result was underwhelming.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Beer brats are a
matter of balance. The wrong choice of beer or a little too much of
any one flavor can throw everything off. In this case the oberon
lends an off taste to the brat. Like it’s not bad but if you didn’t
know any better you’d swear something was wrong with the brat
itself. That’s not the kind of sensation you want to elicit with
pork products. I’d say this one’s another 2.5 rating.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F4cZslcJF_o/YMw6H56puKI/AAAAAAAADvE/elAyHhUUN_ATnEUQxAWnRdan9Uf56SF-wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Snack%2BReport%2BJune%2B2021%2B%25283%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F4cZslcJF_o/YMw6H56puKI/AAAAAAAADvE/elAyHhUUN_ATnEUQxAWnRdan9Uf56SF-wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Snack%2BReport%2BJune%2B2021%2B%25283%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Little Debbie’s
Cosmic Brownies Cereal</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>I doubt it would be
controversial to declare cosmic brownies sit alongside star crunch as
Debbie's weakest offerings. The brands recent success with Oatmeal
Cream Pie cereal made this second effort impossible to ignore. Of
course it’s fighting an uphill battle against the overwhelming
history of chocolate cereals and on that front it doesn’t really
stand apart from the pack. The smell came across as stronger than the
food itself but the actual taste wasn’t so bad. Everything’s
lightly left of regular chocolate which helps to sell the whole
brownie vibe. Unfortunately it’s a bit too resistant to milk,
keeping the texture rough through the whole bowl. The chocolaty milk
leftovers are a total highlight though. Gonna give this one a 3. Not
amazing but tasty enough to pass.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>On the Boarder
Cafe Style Queso Chips</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Imagine, if you
will, a world where Doritos understands subtly. That’s the world
these lovely treats come from. There’s just enough powder to give
me a kick and coat your fingers yet it’s lite enough to keep these
as a viable option for nachos. Admittedly my nephew thought they were
gross but this guy here is over the moon for em. Accepting their
possibly divisive status I’m gonna give a solid 4.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XDwwR1SSSLw/YMw6Qz4ZqJI/AAAAAAAADvM/lVzCcPDlG8MGtrckNRlE3835Hlk9FChQwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Snack%2BReport%2BJune%2B2021%2B%25284%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XDwwR1SSSLw/YMw6Qz4ZqJI/AAAAAAAADvM/lVzCcPDlG8MGtrckNRlE3835Hlk9FChQwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Snack%2BReport%2BJune%2B2021%2B%25284%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Twelve’s Rebel
hard Coffee Berry Crisps Latte</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Sometimes the most
interesting thing about a new food item isn’t anything unique to it
but the weird memories it brings up. Having a biological make-up that
is 40% coffee, 10% candy and 5% hooch makes this sort of thing a must
try. As far as adult beverages are concerned it was pretty lousy with
the different flavors being at odds with each-other. Whenever it
leaned into fruity territory though I got a sudden rush of nostalgia.
It took some detective skills but I found it at last, Smilk. A fruity
milk drink from that weird part of the 1990s where diary suddenly had
to be flavored. Shit was gross but my chubby ten-year-old self loved
to fuel up on it. I’d say stay away from this lackluster coffee
drink unless you too want to remember the wonders and pitfalls of
Smilk.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Bell’s Tropical
Oberon</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>How many paragraphs
ago was it that I noted Oberon as the opiate of basic bros? Well for
a brief moment I was counted among their ranks as curiosity forced me
to try the new tropical variation. It’s a bit unfair to saddle this
honestly better beer with the Oberon title however. I mean Bell’s
actually put in a decent showing here. The stuff is cloudy, fruity,
and nicely refreshing. Far from my favorite hot-weather beer but good
enough for a 3.5 score.
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BrEt2EisCos/YMw6lKS59QI/AAAAAAAADvY/pu1jr-DvgxoQH5vwr4CBhtwN00B6xJbuACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Snack%2BReport%2BJune%2B2021%2B%25285%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BrEt2EisCos/YMw6lKS59QI/AAAAAAAADvY/pu1jr-DvgxoQH5vwr4CBhtwN00B6xJbuACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Snack%2BReport%2BJune%2B2021%2B%25285%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Birthday Cake
Pebbles Cereal</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>One of the all-time
greats turns 50 this year. To celebrate there’s a new variety on
shelves meant to evoke the sweetness of birthday cake. In execution
however both scent and flavor come across like a riff on the recently
demised Rice Krispies Treats Cereal with a couple key differences.
For one the greasy taste of that cereal is nowhere to be found. In
it’s place is a slight berry flavor which I’d assume is supposed
to be the frosting element. While not up to the level of Cocoa or
Fruity this one’s still a decent sugar rush worthy of a 3 out of 5/</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Frosted Berry
Team Cheerios</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>In honor of the
upcoming Olympic games Cheerios has revived the old Team branding
with a new frosted berry combination. Admittedly I’d failed to
notice the disappearance of classic Team Cheerios as my primary
obsession with the brand are the Maple and Pumpkin Spice varieties.
Still I recall team being a damn solid breakfast food and while this
one may not be up to the same level, it’s still pretty good.
There’s a nice mix of sweet that never becomes overpowering and it
manages to stay with you longer than most other cereals. Worthy of a
3.5 at the very (or should I say berry?) least.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Kountry Lane
Bakery Raspberry Rolls</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>I’ve mentioned in
previous articles the pleasure of shopping at Lansing hotspot,
Horrocks. While they can sometimes drop the ball I’m always eager
to see what new items they can bring my way. Few items better
illustrate that feeling then these raspberry rolls from a tiny ass
bakery in Indiana. Seriously; these are my new obsession to the
extent that I want a whole swath of em in place of birthday cake this
year. The dough is clean, airy, and just plain enough to stand in
contrast with everything else. The berry goo is just marvelous. Oh
and the icing is an absolute toothache. Should you one day find
yourself near Horrocks or in Montgomery, IN do yourself a favor and
hunt these down. This month’s sole perfect rating of 5 outta 5.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>With that I’ve
finally wrapped a blog for this month. Gonna make an honest effort to
get back on schedule here. Not tonight though. Tonight calls for
video games and plenty of sleep before work</p>Justin Passickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17507223613265525734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4140446227055533955.post-17995673987463980442021-05-30T13:31:00.002-07:002021-05-30T13:31:07.035-07:00Kingdom Hearts Marathon Part 3<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o2Z7Yxya6Ro/YLP15f8wC9I/AAAAAAAADtg/2XA6IdvMNb863aEf1KCJcyxQhontjy9YQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Kingdom%2BHearts%2BMarathon%2BPart%2B3%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o2Z7Yxya6Ro/YLP15f8wC9I/AAAAAAAADtg/2XA6IdvMNb863aEf1KCJcyxQhontjy9YQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Kingdom%2BHearts%2BMarathon%2BPart%2B3%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Let’s s begin today’s post with a slap on the hand. A little goal
for this year was to return to the consistent pace of four or more
posts per month. Made it almost halfway but May is likely to break the trend. On the
upside I have been using that time wisely with the new job and
wrapping up some big pop-culture conquests. Case in point; I managed
to wrap up the whole Kingdom Hearts sage at last. Hard to stress just
how much of a relief that was after years of set-backs. So today
let’s talk about the most recent chapter of the franchise along
with some thoughts on the series as a whole.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> The final piece of
the puzzle is the rhythm game spin-off <i>Melody of Memory</i> which
plays out like something of a victory lap for the series. The game
actually starts off with zero explanation for what’s going on with
an opening FMV recap with accompanying rhythm game-play that you
initially fumble through before getting tossed out into the game’s
main map and working your way through one soundtrack at a time
divided by worlds and stage types.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> Stages are dived
into several varieties such as battles, boss battles, and memory
dives though in reality there’s just two takes on the game-play
with bosses and dives playing largely the same. Regular battle levels
make up the vast majority however with your chosen team of 3
characters running ahead while you time your prompts with the music
to make them attack, use special abilities, jump, glide, all that
jazz. There are multiple difficulties to choose from plus the game
provides a numerical rating for how challenging a particular song is
on each difficulty. Adding to that is how each song has three
missions that provide different stars to unlock further portions of
the campaign. Having little missions may not sound like the biggest
deal but for long-term playing it makes the experience a lot more
involving. As I was going through the world tour mode that was my
first encouragement to try higher difficulties in order to get those
precious stars. Casual players won’t have to pay a ton of attention
to this as, save for a couple choke points, the main story can
largely be gotten through by just finishing songs on beginner. For
those who want to unlock all the tracks however they’re gonna need
to step their game up.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7R4wmTDbKZQ/YLP1-f0V4II/AAAAAAAADtk/cV7QdMCU2jMtStdOzVVC9F7Dwc_GKrjlgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Kingdom%2BHearts%2BMarathon%2BPart%2B3%2B%25282%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7R4wmTDbKZQ/YLP1-f0V4II/AAAAAAAADtk/cV7QdMCU2jMtStdOzVVC9F7Dwc_GKrjlgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Kingdom%2BHearts%2BMarathon%2BPart%2B3%2B%25282%2529.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> As you play through
different portions of the campaign you’ll be interrupted by scenes
of Kairi retelling the entirety of Sara's adventures. Little context
is given to any of this until the very end of the game when like
30-40 minutes of story is thrown at the audience in order to put
pieces in place for the next era of the series. We learn of a deeper
connection between Kairi and Xehanort, get some hints about the girl
Lea and Isa talked about in part 3, and learn a little of what’s to
come. Personally I got geeked about all of this and am stoked to see
what comes from the concept of alternate realities and the upcoming
visit to the city of Quadratum. It’s all quite mad but I wouldn’t
have Kingdom Hearts any other way.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> While I mostly
enjoyed my time with <i>Melody of Memory</i> a few cracks started to
show during the endgame. For whatever reason the majority of the
<i>Kingdom Hearts III</i> soundtrack is skipped over, with often a
single memory dive track as the only selection for an entire world.
These tracks can be really lame too such as how Frozen has the
dreadful <i>Let It Go</i> but not the wonderful exploration music.
Even stuff you’d think would be a shoe-in is oddly missing. How is
that we have multiple takes on <i>Simple </i><i>a</i><i>nd Clean</i>
and <i>My </i><i>S</i><i>anctuary</i> but not <i>My Fears</i>? Then
there’s other oddball missing elements like none of the Pirates
tunes. The endgame is also where you’re likely to notice the sever
imbalance of stage types. There’s easily over a hundred battle
stages with only like 5 bosses, and maybe twenty memory dives. And
while I appreciate the dedication to their being no DLC it means
these oversights will never be corrected.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> Odd endgame aside I
found <i>Melody of Memory </i>to largely be a fun and breezy way to
ease from one era of the series to the next. Sure I was missing some
songs and wished there were more options for customizing parties but
as someone who generally isn’t huge on rhythm games there was a lot
of fun to be had here. Most of that comes down to a nice difficulty
structure, the added variety of stage types, and the unique ways in
which the game-play elements mix together. It may not be the absolute
best the series has to offer but I can think of much worse ways to
spend ones time.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> The final question
is whether it was worth taking the time to play through such a big
series? The answer is absolutely yes! There are no doubt installments
that rub me the wrong way, and it sorta stinks that actually playing
through Days and Re:coaded requires hunting down DS copies but the
sheer amount of fun and memorable moments scattered throughout these
titles marks some of the brightest spots in gaming. Taking the time
to go through each one further enhances the dramatic peaks and
valleys of the massive storytelling so you end up caring that much
more when characters return or depart. It makes the level of
engagement so much more meaningful that if the next title were to
drop today I’d be right in front of the boob tube plunging away.
For those of you out there with the time who don’t take themselves
too seriously and enjoy wild, outlandish storytelling go pick up
these games. Even the first one for as old as it is holds up
marvelously.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> To wrap things up
let’s do a quick personal ranking of the series.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Out of contention
due to me only having experience video versions:</b> <b>358/2 Days,
Re:coaded, X.</b> <span style="font-weight: normal;">One day I’ll
nab original copies of these to experience them in full. For now it
seems wrong to try and rank them based on story alone.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Re: Chain of
</b><b>Memories:</b> Big surprise here, right? This stain on my KH
play-through still requires me to tackle it in full. At this current
point in life a card-game/dungeon crawl still doesn’t gel with me.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Melody of Memory:
</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">A fun little diversion with a
huge ending. Far from a shining entry but still good fun.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>0.2 A Fragmentary
Passage: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">An odd curio with an
annoying final boss that remains entertaining thanks to unique
environments and a deeper glimpse into Aqua’s plight.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Kingdom Hearts 2:
</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Perhaps I might mend my
relationship with part 2 on a return trip. For now I still hold
grudges against the sloppy driveform leveling and wildly inconsistent
difficulty.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Dream Drop
Distance: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">3-D is such a weird
entry on both game-play and storytelling fronts that it can’t help
but be a memorable adventure. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Some
of the additions like drops can stay with this one while others like
flow-motion hopefully get integrated even further than they did with
part 3.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Kingdom Hearts:
</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">The original is still damn near
the best thanks to the pure energy a company fully embracing a wild
concept. The game-play may not be as refined as later entries but the
overall quest is hard to top.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Birth by Sleep:
</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">What it lacks in world
selection BBS more than makes up for with game-play. Mixing and
matching commands together is crazy addicting which propels the
player along through the tragic prequel tale.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Kingdom Hearts 3:
</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Come at me naysayers. I didn’t
think it possible but part 3 manages to encapsulate so much of what
makes the series worthwhile into such a clean and well-made package
that’s just a constant joy to play. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
worlds are huge, variety is nice but not forced, challenge is quite
reasonable, and the ending is just gravy.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> And
with that done I’ve returned to other gaming endeavors such as
completing the Trine series and yet another Ys adventure. I’m
starting to get that pull that drags me toward different series I’ve
yet to indulge in. Maybe it’s time for </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Atelier</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
or </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Legend of Heroes</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">?
You all let me know if you’ve got any suggestions for my next big
gaming conquest. As for tonight I’ve got some grocery shopping
lined up as there’s a frightening lack of masala sauce around here.
</span>
</p>Justin Passickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17507223613265525734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4140446227055533955.post-27398407923239735082021-05-23T22:15:00.001-07:002021-05-23T22:15:07.517-07:00CosmicSparky Returns to Adventuring<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UeQeg2qg0js/YKs157GN3mI/AAAAAAAADrc/-cSYA-ptzr4Q2-1CtfcyWJb1zd7CHUFGACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/CosmicSparky%2BReturns%2Bto%2BAdventuring%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UeQeg2qg0js/YKs157GN3mI/AAAAAAAADrc/-cSYA-ptzr4Q2-1CtfcyWJb1zd7CHUFGACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/CosmicSparky%2BReturns%2Bto%2BAdventuring%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
After a seeming eternity of safety-measures and putting off outings
for later the cementing of vaccines has finally allowed for a return
to small adventures. Yes, yes, yous truly is able to venture forth
and seek out the weird wonders of mid-Michigan and thanks to the new
job I actually have the cash to back it up. From the earliest days of
the pandemic my first goal was to return to my beloved thrift and
antique holes where shopping is unpredictable and often a bit smelly.
Technically I made my triumphant return last weekend via some local
joints and managed to bring little home besides a few odd card games.
It managed to feel like a step in the right direction yet wasn’t
quite enough to rejuvenate the spirit of the hunt. After another week
it was time to set out to a neighboring town to revisit some antique
stores we’d hit back in the summer of 2019 which, by my
calculations, was about about eight years ago. While it wasn’t
everything envisioned during those homebound days it still managed to
be a worthy outing for a weekend afternoon.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> So the plan to
kickoff returning to old junk stores was a visit to Nashville, the
Michigan version, a sleepy lil burg with two decent antique markets.
The main reason I’d wanted to return here was that 66 Unique
Antiques had an upstairs corner filled to the brim with old records
and comics where I discovered the wonders of Japanese metal band,
Loudness. Suffice to say I marched upstairs and straight to that
corner upon entering the building only to find bupkis… a new booth
under construction with nary a sign of record or comic to be found.
Using breathing techniques to steady myself I though perhaps the
vendor simply changed booths, downsized, or something to that effect
and commenced a total search of the store.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> Eventually I
learned that the legendary corner was actually stock the building
owners had purchased from closed stores and the two main chunks had
been bought out last fall. Ordinarily this would have cast a major
cloud over the day had I not found a few lovely picks during the
search. With a half-hour to spare before both places closed up I
headed across the street to boardroom antiques where I nabbed one
more goody and asked about a major piece of memorabilia. This old KB
Toys sign was there the last time I’d visited and boy does it ever
bring back some good vibes. I’ve always had lousy teeth which back
when I was kid meant at least a few times a year I’d have to get
some fillings. Afterward I was almost assured a visit to the Lansing
Mall for Sabarro pizza and some KB shopping. Just looking at this
formed plastic brings back sensations of a sore mouth, pepperoni
pizza, and the sights of various mechanical toys bumping around on a
walled display table. I had to ask what the asking price could be.
The quote was around $250, a bit to high for me currently though I’m
considering a return somewhere down the road. Of course if any of you
would like to get there first and save me from myself that’s fine.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ILS0cdQ2kSA/YKs2CAVX0TI/AAAAAAAADrw/k5HUhd6Fij4BgWWxhF0-of-OQgEkaC71gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/CosmicSparky%2BReturns%2Bto%2BAdventuring%2B%25285%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ILS0cdQ2kSA/YKs2CAVX0TI/AAAAAAAADrw/k5HUhd6Fij4BgWWxhF0-of-OQgEkaC71gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/CosmicSparky%2BReturns%2Bto%2BAdventuring%2B%25285%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> What about the days
haul then? One of the first areas of note had a bevy of
late-80s/early-90s comics on hand. You’ll note I picked up a few
from Marvel’s failed New Universe line. These titles were long gone
before my initial experience with comics and had a small failed
reboot a little after I returned to the medium in the mid-aughts. The
idea was a comic world that veered closer to reality with regular
people suddenly being changed by something called the “white event”
which granted more scientifically plausible abilities than
traditional comics were known for. In recent years I’ve really
wanted to dig into these obscure characters and there was a decent
offering on hand at this booth. Sadly some of the others where a good
deal more expensive or in the middle of their respective series but I
was more than happy to march off with the first issue of <i>Kickers
Inc</i>. John Byrne’s run on Namor is a title whose Omnibus has
been tempting for a while so this issues offers a chance to get a
sneak peak at whether the big tome is worth it. <i>Punisher: </i><i>The
Prize</i><i> </i>just looked like a good read and <i>Hawkworld</i>
was a pretty major overhaul for Hawkman that, like many classics DC
titles, has a spotty record for collected editions.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ucdsD1zrFXg/YKs2Fu0a9UI/AAAAAAAADr0/K9JqVvaxq4U4eVeXDTMVmPa_Os60qpxYQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/CosmicSparky%2BReturns%2Bto%2BAdventuring%2B%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ucdsD1zrFXg/YKs2Fu0a9UI/AAAAAAAADr0/K9JqVvaxq4U4eVeXDTMVmPa_Os60qpxYQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/CosmicSparky%2BReturns%2Bto%2BAdventuring%2B%25283%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> On the record front
I managed to find a vendor who tried to offer a balance of good
condition items at sensible pricing. On hand was a copy of More Chad
& Jeremy, a duo firmly set within the framework of Beatles and
Monkees era tunes, and music from Miami Vice which offers a nice
combo of material made for and licensed by the series. Over at
Boardroom I got the best of Hank Williams marking I believe only my
second country album in the collection. Admittedly I dispose modern
upbeat country only opening my saloon doors for this classic sad-sack
stuff. Among the highlights are <i><span style="font-weight: normal;">“Why
Don’t You Love Me”</span></i><b> </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">and
one I’d never heard called “</span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Kaw-liga”</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
about a wooden cigar store </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Indian</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
who can’t express his feelings. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">It’s
a bit odd and more than a little culturally insensitive. </span>
</p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yikmRzc4w8Q/YKs2Jxt9ZwI/AAAAAAAADsA/yHz3MeEVyRkwMQ-r_t1-ymYoFvbKMLJrACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/CosmicSparky%2BReturns%2Bto%2BAdventuring%2B%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yikmRzc4w8Q/YKs2Jxt9ZwI/AAAAAAAADsA/yHz3MeEVyRkwMQ-r_t1-ymYoFvbKMLJrACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/CosmicSparky%2BReturns%2Bto%2BAdventuring%2B%25284%2529.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> Bringing
home some tunes and reading material was totally expected, what
wasn’t was a glass case display of old NES titles near the
check-out. While fairly small the selection of titles had plenty to
offer be it action, puzzle, etc. Some like </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Ninja
Gaiden II</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;"> were just
simply cost more than I was willing to give into while many of the
others didn’t have much in the way of personal meaning, until I
found a big one. </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Dragon
Warrior</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
a game that stood alongside </span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Final
Fantasy</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
in our cartridge collection as something my young, illiterate mind
couldn't play. I certainly gave the old college try </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">but
it would be years before I finally dove headfirst into the world of
JRPGs. There’s a lot of memories tied up with this cart be it
watching my brothers tackle the game for real, my own meager attempts
at battling slimes, or simply admiring the boss ass artwork. </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Once
I clean this copy up it’ll serve as a reminder of how those early
days resulted in modern traditions like tackling a Final Fantasy,
Tales of, and Ys every year.</span></span></p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-isl8V9RJ99Q/YKs2OSPEuQI/AAAAAAAADsI/No6rIasUPgEWRsMEPcbTvMrxGbRSLoeUwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/CosmicSparky%2BReturns%2Bto%2BAdventuring%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-isl8V9RJ99Q/YKs2OSPEuQI/AAAAAAAADsI/No6rIasUPgEWRsMEPcbTvMrxGbRSLoeUwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/CosmicSparky%2BReturns%2Bto%2BAdventuring%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> There was an
unexpected addition to the trip in that we wove our way back through
the dirt back-roads of, I believe, Mennonite country, emerging just
in time to visit a place called Sunset Acres Bakery which has been
around for a few years but is just outside of our usual travel
routes. These ladies were stocked up on some crazy treats like sugar
cookies that seem closer to personal pan sized cakes or giant rice
crispy treat rolls with chocolate swirls. It feels odd to purchase
something this indulgent from a bunch of repressive religious zealots
but maybe this is how they vent sinful urges. Overall I enjoyed most
of this stuff with their peanut butter cookies being the real
winners.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> So that was a tiny
adventure that may just result in some extra post material down the
line. It felt so good to finally get out there and feel secure enough
to linger and shop properly. Now it’s time to prepare for a few
more days trips like finally seeing my college. Seriously… I
graduated from a school I’ve never seen. For tonight however I am
content to relax and unwind before another work week unfolds. Feel
free to share any thoughts on the haul or tips for nice weird stores
to visit.
</p>Justin Passickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17507223613265525734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4140446227055533955.post-52812851901534714692021-05-15T17:16:00.004-07:002021-05-15T17:16:18.331-07:00Snack Report: May 2021<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bLkAf-E-n8A/YKBjvMn7ReI/AAAAAAAADqw/x9YVawCAHDAlAdP6nBZmuuqxlfwuzNsYgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Snack%2BReport%2BMay%2B2021%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bLkAf-E-n8A/YKBjvMn7ReI/AAAAAAAADqw/x9YVawCAHDAlAdP6nBZmuuqxlfwuzNsYgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Snack%2BReport%2BMay%2B2021%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>Another month brings yet another round of snacks and novelties to
consume. Perfect timing too since there’s been plenty of work and
the household has been riff with drama of late. We played host to a
new doggy for a wee bit and he proved to be something of an ill fit
and is on his way to another home that can hopefully work with his
particular brand of madness. Another factor making the snack world
exciting for yours truly is having a second dose of vaccine. That’s
right, I’m now fully equipped to go out and snack hunt in style.
Well… two a few more days technically for everything to cement, and
yes I will celebrate that mark by returning to an antiques shop with
a truly excellent record corner. You all best be getting your shots
too, believe me, it feels great to know there’s at least a little
defense standing between you and everything else. Enough of dramatics
and medical science! it’s time for some food!</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Hostess Lemonade
Stand Twinkies</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Snack hunters can
take a lot of flack for the weird shit they bring home and these
lemonade Stand Twinkies earn plenty of side-eye and speculation.
Suspicions soon turned around as the fatty cakes turned out to be far
different than expected yet in a most pleasing way.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Presentation’s
fairly standard for Hostess. Big, bright box housing chemical-laced
cakes. While we expected something more outright lemony on the flavor
front the reality was far more subdued. Normally I might consider
that a failure but the lite citrus undertone ends up giving each
Twinkie a slightly cleaner taste with less of that fatty
after-effect. For anyone who hates that lingering lard flavor this is
an absolute winner. At the very least I’m giving these a 4 out of
5.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Hostess Smores
Cupcakes</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>These Smore
cupcakes are returning after their first round in 2020 which I
totally missed thanks to all the wonders of the pandemic. Other than
finally being easy to find I’m not so sure these deserved a second
round.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Hear me out here.
These are still decent enough snack cakes with a fairly balanced
flavor. Problem is much like the Lemonade Stand Twikies this isn’t
a very accurate recreation of smores nor is there any fringe benefit
from the light-touch production. Instead you get a vaguely
smore-esque snack that’s good enough in a pinch but lacks the
necessary punch to really soar. I will at least give some points for
the coloration as it still screams fireside treat. Let’s be nice
and give em a 3.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Meijer Salted
Caramel Peanuts</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Not a ton to say on
this one, only fair since it’s available exclusive to the handful
of states with Meijer stores. More than likely I would’ve failed to
notice em if not for being severely let down by the sight of an empty
honey roasted shelf yet again. As someone who enjoys both peanuts and
caramel this seemed like an easy pick for pitch-hitter. Unfortunately
the caramel aspect is a total failure. Whoever produced these for
Meijer just used a caramel powder rather than some kind of coating.
The result is that most of that candy flavor rubs off on your hands
leaving a slightly off-tasting salted peanut. The peanuts themselves
are still pretty good but why bother? 2 out of 5 purely on the
strength of the peanuts.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Arbor Brewing
Company Trail Lyte Beer</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>By and large this
is not a lite beer household. If you’re going to do something you
may as well go for broke. Still; an adventurous man keeps his options
open and I’m rather glad I did. The whole experience is bright,
fruity, and truly refreshing meaning it’ll be a shoe-in should we
ever actually get a warm night (Spring has been decidedly chilly in
these parts).</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>The presentation is
solid with nice box-art and skinny cans that help denote the whole
lite motif. Flavor begins with a clean beer taste followed by solid
notes of berry and some citrus. There’s more than enough taste to
stand out without getting overpowered or tacky. Not sure how far
distribution on this brand stretches out but if you come across some
it’s a solid choice for a hot day. Let’s grant em a 4 out of 5.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>On the Boarder
Homestyle Thick and Crispy tortilla chips</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Here’s another
one that doesn’t require much preamble. On The Boarder, a brand
whose cafe style tortilla chips already make for some great nachos,
decided to put out a thick and crispy variant likely to compete with
the likes of Donkey Chips. While not as thoroughly enjoyable as
Donkey when plan or dipped these Homestyle chips still make a pretty
solid base for nacho consumption. At least a 3 out of 5.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kPOemqCMVDE/YKBj4AUVIdI/AAAAAAAADq0/RvElFtftZqEJRSQDsCFrm5ZeR8YDniOuACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Snack%2BReport%2BMay%2B2021%2B%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kPOemqCMVDE/YKBj4AUVIdI/AAAAAAAADq0/RvElFtftZqEJRSQDsCFrm5ZeR8YDniOuACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Snack%2BReport%2BMay%2B2021%2B%25283%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Key Lime Pie
Kit-Kat</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b> </b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>A
tiny gift from a sibling returning from a road trip, these newest
kit-kats were an interesting proposition. The brand has such a wide
ratio of success to failure that it’s always tricky to test out
their newest flavors. Just looking at this bright green wrapper makes
one likely to point a finger at the candy and demand it live up to
its potential.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>So what’s the verdict? Oh yeah, these are good. Not only did they
nail a proper key lime pie flavor, they somehow kept it reserved
enough to seem refreshing instead of overbearing. The entire package
was inhaled in mere seconds. A total winner, one of the best kit-kat
off-shoots I’ve seen in some time, go grab some while you can and
pray they make a return in years to come. Gonna give em a 4.5 rating.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UCTjpx8PNHU/YKBj-u8-9lI/AAAAAAAADq8/Uk65tTZdVOINd9iczt4skJwt_AXigqM6gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Snack%2BReport%2BMay%2B2021%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UCTjpx8PNHU/YKBj-u8-9lI/AAAAAAAADq8/Uk65tTZdVOINd9iczt4skJwt_AXigqM6gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Snack%2BReport%2BMay%2B2021%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Skittles Gummies
Wild Berry</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>The first in a trio
of items I found at my first trip to Speedway in over a year these
Skittles Gummies are something of a dream come true. I’ve loved
Skittles of any kind my whole life but there’s always that point
when their texture starts to destroy your mouth. That painful reality
can now be circumvented by the power of gummies.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>So far only had the
chance to dig into the Wild Berry variety but what a knockout. These
give the full flavor of Skittles with the comforting, chewy joy of
gummy. Hell; they even smell good. Debating it at the moment but this
may indeed be worthy of a perfect score of 5.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Hi-Chew Fruit
Combos</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Hi-Chew is
definitely a love it or hate it kinda candy. Some folks can’t stand
the waxy nature of these things or find the flavors too muted.
Generally being a fan of them though made me stoked to try these new
combo flavors since they include the all-mighty mango. At least
theory that is seeing as there were only two mango piece in the
entire bag that was otherwise overrun with pina colada.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Disappointment at
the pina colada flood aside these are still some good chewy candy.
I’d dare say the cream element in these two flavors comes across
better than most of the normal fruit varieties. If you don’t like
Hi-Chew then these aren’t gonna change your mind but for those who
enjoy em this is a worthwhile spin-off. 3 outta 4. Might be more if
they included enough mango.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Mingua Bourbon
Beef Jerky</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>It’s a rare treat
to stumble upon a spindle rack filled with a previously unknown jerky
brand yet that night in Speedway offered plenty of options for taking
the Mingua brand for a test-drive. I decided to go with a more basic
flavor, figuring that a company needs to nail the basics before
achieving anything truly marvelous. These guys couldn’t even manage
that.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>I can forgive the
rustic down home charm of the packaging but the jerky itself seems
like something your buddy might create as an experiment. It’s thin,
dry, salty, and all-around harsh. This might be a bit cruel but I’m
gonna have to give these a 1 out of 5.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fgGvscK7oy8/YKBkGcfFtTI/AAAAAAAADrA/pkSGTL12qcAJ7eWthDkLFiGzVpawjeBkgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Snack%2BReport%2BMay%2B2021%2B%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fgGvscK7oy8/YKBkGcfFtTI/AAAAAAAADrA/pkSGTL12qcAJ7eWthDkLFiGzVpawjeBkgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Snack%2BReport%2BMay%2B2021%2B%25284%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Monster
Strawberry lemonade Rehab and Pappilion</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>With the increase
in housebound hours during the pandemic I’ve rarely had a chance to
indulge in energy drinks. Spending a portion of one workday entering
different Monsters into the register system opened up my eyes to
everything I’d been missing. Rest assured the employee discount was
utilized immediately in order to bring home these new elixirs.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Much as I enjoy the
Rehab line, much like Rockstar’s Recovery drinks, this newest
flavor doesn’t do quite enough to set it apart from the pack. In
fact I’m hard pressed to come up with much of a description for it
other than light, somewhat fruity, energy drink. It went down
well-enough with the energy formula preforming admirably. Sadly
there’s just not a whole lot going on here. Maybe deserving of a
middle of the road 2.5 rating.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Pappilion comes out
a bit better across the board thanks to excellent presentation and a
far more unique taste. The pinky peach can covered in butterflies is
quite the looker and the perfume smell puts one in the mood for
indulgence. The flavor is in interesting one with aspects of
different fruits blending together in a way that feels like
springtime thanks to an almost floral aftertaste. It’s a good one
for sure. Not absolute top tier material yet good enough to earn a
3.5 or maybe 4.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Brother’s Bond
Bourbon</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>While out of town
to get my second dose of vaccine I was able to visit a damn nice
liquor store in order to stock up on a few cough… essentials. While
trying to hunt for some items on the grocery list I came across
something I thought would be much tougher to find, Brother’s Bond
Bourbon. What makes this bottle so special you ask? It’s all in the
novelty of this brand belonging to Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley,
aka the Salvatore brothers of <i>Vampire Diaries</i> fame. In essence
this is the semi-official drink of those who love pretty vampires.
Novelty will only get you so far however so how’s it hold up as a
drink?</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>When it comes to
the whiskey/scotch/etc arena I’ve the least experience with bourbon
so don’t expect a lot of direct comparisons there. Still; I know
what I like and Brother’s Bond at least falls within the positive
end of that spectrum. Both the smokiness and bite are bolder than I
expected yet it still manages to go down fairly smooth. All the burn
is delayed however so don’t go acting hard and taking shots without
prepping for a screaming throat a few seconds later. There’s a lot
of whiskey that I’d pick up before this one, especially in the
forty dollar price range, but for those who like a decent sipping
bourbon I can see this being a hit. Personally I’ll grant it a 3.5
though I expect others will find it more to their liking.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IKmGR99WAO0/YKBkNvReN6I/AAAAAAAADrI/zz5WEluo2X8ME21vGYTxw8-k1IvFw5cMACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Snack%2BReport%2BMay%2B2021%2B%25285%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IKmGR99WAO0/YKBkNvReN6I/AAAAAAAADrI/zz5WEluo2X8ME21vGYTxw8-k1IvFw5cMACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Snack%2BReport%2BMay%2B2021%2B%25285%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Doritos 3D</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Yet another revival
of an item hailing from that strange period of time when yours truly
wasn’t an absolute snack-fiend. Yes indeed, much like Oreo-O’s
this sub-line of Doritos never passed my lips back in the day. One
might think that would make their return all the more exciting but
for whatever reason I’ve been forgetting to pick these up for
months now. Perhaps this has something to do with the association of
how these are a Doritos take on Bugles, one of the worst snacks ever
made.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Can’t say either
flavor, Spicy Ranch or Chili Cheese Nacho, have done much to win me
over. On one end I appreciate their spicy nature but neither the
flavor nor texture really do a whole lot that other chips already do
better. Maybe some different flavors and more powder could help.
Otherwise it just felt like a sad reminder that you could be eating
actual Doritos instead of these. They’re not a total letdown but I
fail to see what they have to offer. Let’s say 2.5 to be nice.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Did… did I
finish? You wouldn’t believe how long this post has taken to
complete. Fact is I’ve yet to adjust the writing schedule to the
new work schedule, not to mention how selling thousands of dollars in
Pokemon product can leave one a bit dead-headed. Still; having a
consistent source of income combined with a lovely vaccine means
there could be a much wider variety of content coming down the
pipeline. We’re approaching a renewed era of freedom my friends.
Why mere hours ago I saw the inside of two local joints for the first
time in over a year. Anyhow it’s horror movie night so I’m gonna
wrap this up and settle in for some much-needed downtime. You all
feel free to share in recent snack finds or if you think I’m way of
the mark on any of this current crop.</p>Justin Passickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17507223613265525734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4140446227055533955.post-13554625934406002042021-04-30T21:17:00.010-07:002021-04-30T21:17:45.356-07:00Kingdom Hearts Marathon Part 2<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b_E-ussoq48/YIzWIQ2CfyI/AAAAAAAADqo/VyDiNeXAGysbvfNQd0XeR4gblzqG41jKwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Kingdom%2BHearts%2BMarthon%2BPart%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b_E-ussoq48/YIzWIQ2CfyI/AAAAAAAADqo/VyDiNeXAGysbvfNQd0XeR4gblzqG41jKwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Kingdom%2BHearts%2BMarthon%2BPart%2B2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>You ever write a whole blog post only to discover it doesn’t have
an intro? That’s what I just did. Well guess what? I’ve spent the
last hour and a half writing about Disney role-playing games so I
deserves a little slack just this one. Enjoy my further adventures in
the depths of <i>Kingdom Hearts</i>.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Dream Drop
Distance</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Originally created
for the 3DS the aptly named <i>Dream Drop Distance</i> has the
thankless job of tying all the events of <span style="font-style: normal;">past
titles, particularly</span> <i>Birth by Sleep</i>, and <i>Recoaded</i>
together while setting up the big finish on the horizon. At the same
time it introduces brand new staples to the series and a weirdo
Pokemon style monster element. Perhaps due to it’s handheld nature,
3D is much more fast paced and manic than many of its predecessors as
the 3DS and later PS3/PS4 ports allowed the game to run much more
quickly than KH fans were accustomed too. That same processing power
allows for a grander scope as worlds feel huge this time around.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>The idea for this
one is that both Sora and Riku are taking on the mark of mastery exam
to become keyblade masters and learn the power of waking. To do this
they must journey to sleeping worlds and fight against and alongside
critters called Dream Eaters. Along the way they must contend with
yet another form of Xehanort who has some plans for Sora.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>It’s commonplace
for folks to joke about the story of Kingdom Hearts being nonsensical
yet by and large I’ve never really had trouble following it. Sure
I’ve had some questions and would definitely like some further
details on a few aspects but I generally get what their aiming for.
That’s not always the case with 3D as several important aspects of
the plot are hardly explained, or if they are it’s out of order and
purposely vague. The time travel stuff and rules for sleeping worlds
are strangely the worst of it since they are explained over and over
just never in a way that really makes sense.. Other bits like the
true purpose of Organization XIII or the recreated people are easy
enough to suss out so there’s a weird balance of good and bonkers.
I suppose the story falls pray to the same thing as game-play in that
the handheld approach made for a story that was meant to be taken in
with smaller chunks. Heck, some of the story sequences are skipable.
Personally I’m of two minds on this ones plot as I found Sora’s
end to be a bit aimless. Riku on the other hand gets a chance to
shine which makes his side of things much more interesting as we
watch him become a true hero in his own way.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>There’s a lot of
new game-play twists this time around, some awesome while others are
a tad wonky. Take Reality shifts for example. Each world has a
special battle command that alters combat in some way. I enjoyed a
few like the three musketeer comics and hacking in Tron but the
initial power of launching objects or Notre Dame’s faith-lines are
sorta nonsensical. Another big edition is flow-motion which adds an
element of jet set radio style navigation to the game as the boys can
now boost off walls, grind rails/pipes, and whip around polls and
large enemies. Several attacks are made available through these
moves, the most useful being a downward slam that damages all nearby
enemies. Can’t forget that every new world begins with a dive which
plays out like a skydiving battle. I get the impression these scenes
likely worked better with the added depth of the 3DS screen. On a
television they can get cluttered and distracting and some of the
dive bosses are just lame.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>The biggest shift
in game-play comes in the form of spirits. Since the boys aren’t
traveling with trusty companions like Donald and Goofy they instead
rely on pokemon/digimon/any sort of mon beasties to fill the party
slots. Don’t just think of these guys as party members though since
they are also the closest thing to equipment and are the primary
source for commands and abilities. It becomes a weird juggling act
between keeping your upgraded partners equipped for the stat boost or
working one someone new for possibly greater bonuses.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>3D is a very odd
entry in the franchise. It stands apart from a lot of what came
before yet doesn’t really set the tone for what’s to come either.
The story is vital but not the most emotionally gripping. Battles are
fun though the spirits aren’t as memorable sidekicks as proper
Disney characters. All that said I still very much enjoyed the
adventure and found the difficulty/fun balance to be much better with
less random bullshit, save for Chernabog. I can appreciate all the
unique ideas when taken right in the center of this marathon. It’s
on the lower end of the series for me but still a far cry from the
weakest entry.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>0.2 A Fragmentery
Passage</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Released as part of
the 2.8 package that brought 3D to traditional consoles, <i>Fragmentary</i><i>
</i><i>P</i><i>assage</i> builds on the concept for <i>Birth by
Sleep</i>’s secret episode. That means you’re back in control of
Aqua immediately after her previous adventure though with some
twists. What makes this one so unique is that it’s the shortest
title in the franchise, roughly three hours, meant as a proper set-up
for part III. I can’t really say much about the story since it’s
all a spolery bridge between Sleep and KH III though I will note it
marks the introduction of elements from the mobile phone game into
proper series lore.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>As this was meant
to offer a tease of what was to come with number 3 we see a shit back
towards original KH combat. Some later additions like Lockshots and
Flow-motion are here but each has been refined and altered. Yet
another new game-play component arrives in the form of grand magic.
Essentially this is a bonus for spamming magic attacks by granting
the free usage of an upgraded spell. Throw a bunch of firaga at the
enemies? Here’s a freebie firaja to finish them off. There’s also
a reworked version of the form changes from Sleep, allowing Aqua to
mix things up after building enough momentum.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>As I always like to
discuss the wishy washy difficulty of this series I feel it best to
point out that I think this is the first entry I never saw a game
over screen during. With the others it could come down to factors
like trying out a secret boss or getting caught unprepared for a big
battle but I soared through this one and got that lovely undefeated
trophy. That’s not to say it’s too easy however since some of the
bosses, mainly the last one have got a couple shitty moves up their
sleeves.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>For better or
worse, Passage is a specialty title. Something to play for a night or
two in order to wet appetites for the big kaboom to come. It’s done
well-enough with plenty of tweaks and enhancements to make for a
solid little adventure, even Willa Holland’s performance has
improved. Plus it did the job of getting my hyped for KH III.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>X Back Cover</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Also released as
part of the 2.8 package is this CG movie that details some of the
events of mobile phone game that I never played. The whole thing is
the ultimate prequel of KH lore set long before anything else we’ve
seen. The universe is young and a wise man in a black coat assigns
roles to different guardians who lead their own guilds in what will
eventually become the keyblade war.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>As with most Square
CG stuff the craftsmanship can’t be denied. Locations and
characters are beautiful to behold. Animation is top notch. And
unlike the previous movies this one is just around an hour making for
some easy viewing. Obviously if you’ve never played the mobile game
then some of this is gonna feel over your head but the film gives
just enough so anyone can have some understanding of this wing of the
franchise.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>While it is
certainly neat to get a glimpse this far back into the KH world the
ending of this video leaves one wondering what, if anything, from it
matters. There’s just so much tossed at the viewer with damn near
zero answers. Who’s the master? (Sho-nuff)? Who’s the traitor?
And as Brad Pitt once so eloquently put it, what the fuck is in the
fuckin’ box? At least that was how I felt after watching it but
what was more important is that it was finally time for the big goal.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Kingdom Hearts
III</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>For as much as this
series play-through was to get back in touch with a beloved franchise
and experience titles I’d missed the real end-goal was finally
taking a shot at KH III. Not only was my curiosity peaked to see how
all the elements of the series introduced after part II would be
foalded into a numbered entry but there was also the matter of how
all these plot threads could be wrapped up. Then there was one bit of
extra curiosity to contend with, all the whining since it’s
release. To a certain extent I had to avoid some of those complaints
to dodge spoilers but I’d heard plenty that barely made sense, that
the game was somehow “rough” and “too easy.” Complaining that
a game with multiple difficulties is “too easy” ranks among some
of the dumbest shit I’ve ever heard so my brow was naturally raised
in suspicion for most of that discussion. I’ll come back to that
later. Now that I’ve had the opportunity to play the game in full,
what’s the response? Man this thing is goddamn outstanding.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Recovering from the
events of <i>Dream Drop Distance </i><span style="font-style: normal;">we
find our heroes facing down a sort of </span><i>Search for Spock
</i><span style="font-style: normal;">scenario. The big endgame
against Xehanort is coming and many of the lost or fallen
cast-members must somehow be recovered in order to put up a proper
defense. Beyond that Sora still hasn’t master the power of waking
and must seek out that ability while dodging multiple returned
villains and visiting new Disney lands for clues.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"> <span> </span>One
of the big concerns for me with this one was the selection worlds to
visit. Several of them are based on properties I can’t stand like
</span><i>Monster</i><i>s</i><i> Inc</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
and </span><i>Frozen</i><span style="font-style: normal;">. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">Most
of them still work out quite well with the aforementioned two being
among the weak links. I was amazed at how enjoyable Toy Story turned
out to be, the associated keyblade is one of the best in the game.
</span><i>Frozen </i><span style="font-style: normal;">oddly provides
one of the best guest characters in the form of Elsa’s hulking snow
monster. And while I’ve not seen the film itself the </span><i>Tangled</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
section made it seem like that might be an alright flick. </span>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>As for game-play
additional features from the handheld titles seep their way in with
the return of shotlocks, flowmotion, and grand magic. Combine those
with new abilities team-up attacks, link attacks (basically summons),
form changes for each keyblade (sometimes two), the ability to freely
swap between 3 keyblades, and utilize Disney theme park rides and
there’s never a lack of options for taking out enemies. Oh and did
I mention there are a total of three quick command windows available
for customization? Even better you never need to swap out characters
as Donald and Goofy can stay in combat along with any number of
guests. The flow is much closer to earlier games but but all the
possible techniques make battles a joy.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Outside of combat
there are a variety of other pursuits like cooking mini-games,
sailing a pirate ship, or the return of the gummi ship that plays out
like its own space-exploration title. You can hunt down lucky Mickey
symbols, play over three Tiger handheld style games on your phone.
Search out constellations to photograph. It took me close to
thirty-four hours to finish the story and there’s still plenty
leftover to complete should I feel the need.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>So how does this
rank as a conclusion for this ark of the franchise? Well the
presentation is some of the best you’ll find on the PS4. Damn
thing’s gorgeous and generally runs at a silky smooth 60 FPS. Music
is outstanding (except for Let It Go, ugh). Plus there is a ton of
story to witness. Much like the first game you often play through a
Disney world and then get some development of the main plot. That’s
the case here but some of these story sections are over
twenty-minutes long. The final hours provide so many moments for this
massive case with some touching bits and a weirdly tender look at who
Xehanort really is. Some plot threads are left open for the next era
but this core clump is successfully put to bed with heart and class.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>So what about that
supposed “too easy” difficulty? This is much easier than its
predecessors but it is not too easy. I actually read one review,
written by possibly the worst game reviewer I’ve ever seen, where
he claims that seeing his first game-over screen at the ten-hour mark
was proof of the adventure lacking challenge. If you saw a game-over
screen then there’s clearly some challenge. And what sort of ninny
falls that early in the game? This altered difficulty helps the game
a ton quite frankly as there are still some small moments of bullshit
but players are given enough wiggle room to power through should they
suck at whatever novelty has been thrown their way. Honestly the
final three bossess are pretty mean too.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>I’ve spent some
time looking into the negative response from some gamers and yea…
they’re full of shit. There’s accusations of it not having enough
content which clearly isn’t real. There’s the aforementioned
difficulty debate which is BS. Then there’s the weird conspiracy
theorist types who seem offended by Disney stuff which begs the
question of why the fuck they’re playing these games to begin with.
Without a doubt this is one of the best experiences on the recent
generation of consoles and if you try and tell me it’s bad I can
only assume you’re a liar, spoiled child, moron or a little of
each.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>KH III was more
than worth the wait. I watched the final credits, after scenes, and
secret ending with a full sense of accomplishment and emotional
trauma. I can’t wait to see where the series goes from here which
means I’m in luck since I still have to play through <i>Melody of
Memory</i><span style="font-style: normal;">. I’ll report back on
that one and some other thoughts on the franchise in a later post. As
for tonight I need a walk and some </span><i>Ultraman Taro</i><span style="font-style: normal;">.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone.</span></p>Justin Passickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17507223613265525734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4140446227055533955.post-78001949573087279132021-04-29T17:18:00.003-07:002021-04-29T17:18:21.779-07:00The ABCs of Horror: The Letter A.<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E-TaCjEpH5w/YItMcb5wWtI/AAAAAAAADqg/huugoPlpvtM1If8tePJWevwmrtAvjzlYgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/ABCs%2Bof%2BHorror%2BLetter%2BA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E-TaCjEpH5w/YItMcb5wWtI/AAAAAAAADqg/huugoPlpvtM1If8tePJWevwmrtAvjzlYgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/ABCs%2Bof%2BHorror%2BLetter%2BA.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Anytime you end up with a massive collection of something there’s a
weird challenge in figuring out how to talk about it. Consider my
horror movie collection, over 1200 titles as of this writing, and
that’s to say nothing of the ones I still hope to own and the
infinite sea of flicks I’ve just watched. Outside of very specific
events like holidays or recent pleasant surprises it can be tough to
narrow down a single topic. While sitting in the office, aka the
bathroom, a totally arbitrary yet nifty concept floated into my head,
let’s just talk about the collection one letter at a time. This
opens the door for sharing favorite and shameful pieces of the
collection along with some personal anecdotes and hidden gems. Let’s
get started the letter A which denotes everything from haunted dolls
to space bugs. It’s kinda odd that this letter is actually a fairly
small chunk of the collection with B being roughly twice the size,
and that being dwarfed by the likes of N or S. On the plus side that
means there isn’t as much god-awful junk filling up the shelves and
cubbies under this heading.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Best</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> I suppose it only
makes sense to kick off with one of the most likely series to come to
mind, Aliens. That’s no surprise really since the franchise is such
a crucial part of horror fandom, film culture, just basic nerdom
really. Everybody likes at least a couple of entries regardless of
the rougher later installments like Prometheus. For my sake I believe
my introduction to the series came from Fox 17 outta Grand Rapids.
Back in the day that channel had some of the best programming
directors in the business which makes their current line-up all the
more depressing. Who the fuck needs 5 hours of morning news? Awesome
movies airing at like two in the morning on a weeknight wasn’t
unheard of and, along with weekend afternoon flicks, helped to build
my early film loving brain. Since I’m getting way off track the
point is I loved and still do love Aliens. I bought the toys, played
video games, and honestly think the third entry is my personal
favorite of the bunch.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> So great was m
fandom during the 1990s that it even became part of our holidays
celebrations. Thanksgiving 1997 was an odd one to say the least. I
was 12 at the time and went with my parents to visit my brother at
his army post in upstate New York. It was the sort of turkey day with
a buffet served by a hotel and mountainous quantities of snow. Being
a holiday weekend there were some big new movies out there like
cough, <i>Mortal Kombat: </i><i>Annihilation</i>. Or if you’re like
my brood you sat down to digest pounds of gravy to the brown slimy
antics of <i>Alien Resurrection</i>. In fact that may be the only
movie I’ve ever watched outside of my home state. And yeah, I don’t
care what you say, the movies a blast and I adore the newborn.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> I’ve mentioned
<i>Amityville 2</i> more than a few times on this site as the
meanest, scariest entry in the series. Really there’s not much to
say about it except I realize I’ve yet to complete the Amityville
retrospective. There’s like half an article just sitting somewhere
on this PC. Consider this a reminder for me to finish and you to
watch this second movie.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <i>Arachnophobia</i>
was, for a time at least, one of my absolute favorite films of all
time. Of course I was like 8 at the time and a lifetime of movie
viewing has set it back quite a few spaces. Even so this killer
spider flick probably held more sway over my developing brain than it
should have. I already feared spiders so this just cemented that
instinct even further. Likewise I took inspiration from the
characters and that epic basement battle scene and turned my distaste
for creepy crawlies into an all-out campaign against any arachnid
foolish enough to set foot on our property.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> Altered States is
one of those movies where just the VHS case alone used to make me
uneasy. Don’t think I even had a clue what it was about back then
but I new it was supposed to be gross and it had that freaky cover.
Once I finally sat down as an adult to brave the thing boy did I ever
fall in love. Equal parts creepy and deep with an almost Lovecraftian
outlook on the uncaring nature of existence. There’s just so much
to like about it that I never want to spoil for you all. Seriously go
track ti down.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> Can’t forget a
little international fare so let’s talk about <i>Audition</i>. I
can never recall the name of this one movie review website in the
early 2000s that did so much to bring a lot of awesome movies into my
life with their recommendations. This place had me giddy for stuff
like <i>Donnie Darko</i> and <i>Lost Skeleton of Cadavra</i> long
before other folks even knew what they were. <i>Audition</i> was
among those titles and just like them didn’t fail to live up to the
hype. What made it better was the surprise of getting so much more
than just a hyper violent thriller as this is also a great drama. It
marked my first Miike movie and is one I really don’t revisit often
enough.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> There’s a few
essential horror tales that aren’t necessarily that well known.
<i>Altered</i> is an outstanding flip on alien abductions by having
hicks abduct a spaceman, a very angry one at that. It’s been left
to languagish on out-of-print DVD but I think it can still be gotten
fairly cheap so go buy a copy. <i>Alice Sweet Alice</i> is one of
those step up titles, not known to the average Sick and Jane but
automatically a must watch for declared horror fans. Really excellent
proto-slasher with plenty of criticism for religious dogma. <i>Audrey
Rose</i> is just something I hold in high regard. Part of the wave of
1970s reincarnation stories that originated as a novel by Frank De
Felitta before Richard Donner trimmed to work as a two-hour film.
There’s some definite rough patches like repetitive dialogue and a
child actor who isn’t quite up to the challenge of this role but
the unique storytelling and performance from Anthony Hopkins make it
all worthwhile. Oh god, how could I forget <i>Alligator</i>, one of
the most well-written giant animal movies and one that’s criminally
difficult to get these days. And even though it’s plenty well known
I’d be remiss to cover the letter A and leave out <i>Army of
Darkness</i>.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Worst</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> Of the bead flicks
I’ve got in this section many are innocuous, easily forgettable
tripe. Most of the “bad” stuff hails from ole black and white
public domain fair that maintains at least a slim level of
entertainment value like<i> </i><i>Attack of the Giant Leaches</i><i>
</i>or <i>The </i><i>A</i><i>pe</i>. Probably the only one that
really busts my balls is <i>An </i><i>American </i><i>W</i><i>erewolf
in </i><i>P</i><i>aris</i>. While not a massive fan of the original
London outing I couldn’t resist the urge to buy this used
Blockbuster copy of the sequel to have the full story. Nothing could
have prepared me for this obnoxious half-baked rom-com sequel that’s
so bad it’s hard to believe it’s actually real. Even the timeline
of the film is off with the girl being way too old for when she was
born.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> Ya know how I
mentioned the Aliens series had a few rough patches well we might as
well talk about <i>Aliens vs Predator: Requiem</i>. While the first
AVP gets a lot of flack it at least manages to be entertaining by
condensing so much of the two franchises into one quick dose, almost
like one of those pill meals we’re meant to have in some distant
future. This second match-up is closer to a <i>Critters</i> sequel
only not good. From lousy characters to abysmal lighting and an
almost carbon copy ending of the second <i>Resident Evil</i> movie,
weird considering Paul W. S. Anderson made the previous AVP. This
thing is straight trash that somehow makes an alien/predator hybrid
comes across as lame.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Wild</b>.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> If you’re somehow
not tired of seeing the word alien in this artivle , guess what, I’ve
got another in the form of the clumsily titled <i>Alien Predators</i>.
Actually it’s got like half-a-dozen other titles but that’s the
one you’ll find on the blu-ray. I first saw AP on THIS, a broadcast
movie network that has sadly dissipated from my area. By all metrics
of film production this is bad stuff but it’s the fun kind of bad
stuff with weird dialogue and gross-out effects. The whole thing
involves a trio of horny teenagers on an RV trip through Spain that
come across village overrun with parasitic space monsters. Not only
does that keep the budget trim but it lends a sort of zombie vibe to
everything.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <i>The </i><i>Abominable
</i><i>Dr.</i><i> </i><i>P</i><i>hibes </i><span style="font-style: normal;">is
the first of two colorful and wild Vincent Price outings from
American International Pictures</span>. Each of them are a bit weird
to get into with most of price’s dialogue being piped-in monologues
along with robot band musical accompaniments though once you submit
to the sarcastic cartoon aesthetic it’s quite a lot of fun.
Thankfully both movies perfectly walk the line of being over-the-top
while still being well-done and yet silly enough to still poke fun
at.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <i>The Alien Factor</i>
(thought I was done with aliens did ya?) marked my first ever
exposure to the works of Don Dohler and man was I ever hooked. None
of his films can ever be accused of being quality work thanks to all
the hallmarks of piss-poor film-making. Lousy acting, tacky effects,
bare-bones plots, slapdash editing, everything’s accounted for. Yet
there’s this energy and sincerity that permeates Dohler’s work
much like some kids backyard super 8 movie. Guy wasn’t out to
change the world or spread a message. He just wanted to make some
monster movies.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> There are a few
more oddballs floating around this section like <i>American </i><i>Gothic</i>
which was one of those videos you remember seeing at the store and
wanted to see simply because of the cover. Then you grow up to find a
funny thriller with some wild death scenes and all is right with the
world. <i>The </i><i>A</i><i>mbulance</i> is a highlight of the back
end of Larry Cohen’s career with a comic book writer played by Eric
Roberts trying to reclaim his dreamgirl from an old ambulance that is
snatching people off the street. Very dated with an exaggerated
early-nineties style and some neat glimpses at Marvel Comics during
the era with Stan Lee appearing as himself.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> Alright, so there
was a tour of the Letter A sans a few items. Admittedly I’m
stretched for ideas at the moment with starting the new job and
someone having the boneheaded idea to add another pet to the house
(cause who doesn’t love more chores?). Oh and did I forget to
mention I rescued my cat from the roof last night? Indulging in this
trip down memory lane does have some piratical value in reminding me
where everything is and why I collect all these things. Hopefully you
enjoyed it and we can make latter letter recaps even better. Right now I either need a nap, some caffeine, or both. </p>Justin Passickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17507223613265525734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4140446227055533955.post-1720980795650760232021-04-19T22:32:00.003-07:002021-04-19T22:32:16.852-07:00Ultraman Ace Series Review<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5rMgTHxZbW4/YH5m90Vx1WI/AAAAAAAADqE/RNOjcyXwc6MgtnNRxgGJx9tMCIKF3E1hgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Ultraman%2BAce%2Bseries%2Breview%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5rMgTHxZbW4/YH5m90Vx1WI/AAAAAAAADqE/RNOjcyXwc6MgtnNRxgGJx9tMCIKF3E1hgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Ultraman%2BAce%2Bseries%2Breview%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Out of all the major tokusatsu hero
franchises I’d say my best overall experience has been with the
Ultra shows. Of course there have been some wretched episodes along
with some questionable plotlines but the shows always managed to
provide enough fun, depth, and outright weirdness to make it all
worthwhile. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Still; every
series has to trip up every once s often and that’s where Ultraman
Ace comes in. Here we have a show that starts off trying to
differentiate itself from what came before only to stumble, puss out,
and finally put up it’s hands and declare ‘that’s all I’ve
got.” As with previous shows I’ve spent the past few months
making my way through this one and am ready to share the highs and
lows with all of you.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>On
the surface, Ultraman Ace has largely the same set-up as any other
Ultra show. Giant monsters are a frequent problem. During a monster
attack someone proves themselves to be heroic at cost to their own
health and is </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">subsequently</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
resurrected by an Ultra brother who then helps protect planet Earth.
There are a few added </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">wrinkles</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
this time around such as a recurring villain and two hosts for this
ultra dude. </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">In
case you’re scared of change there’s still a generic </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">monster</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
fighting task force and plenty of weekly standalone mysteries to
offer comfort.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>As
mentioned there’s a</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
new twist to the franchise </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">with
a</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
duo of hosts for Ace. Indeed it takes both a man and woman coming
together for Ace to enter battle. Some folks say there are hints of
this duel nature in the character design but other than the red bra
across the chest I’m stomped. </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Supposedly
this concept didn’t fly all that well with some of the viewing
audience and in practice it adds a few unneeded complications as the
pair always need to be in contact to summon their Ultra counterpart.
Furthering the weirdness are hints of a possible romantic connection
between the two. </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">There
isn’t much to either of them really. Hokuto is a pretty standard
Ultra guy with the only </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">discernible</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
difference being that he’s a bit more upbeat than </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">heroes</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
like Dan and Go. For her part Minami is a very underdeveloped
character, she’s a female hero and that’s about it. </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">For
better or worse the </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">p</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">airing
</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">doesn’t</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
last with Minami leaving the show a </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">little</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
past the halfway point in a manner that could easily be compared to
Poochey. </span></span>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>As
for the rest of this years mystery squad, TAC (Terrible-Monster
Attack Crew) there’s the usual mix of personalities and gender
percentages. The most notable support character is Commander Ryu.
He’s that classic mix of </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">hard-ass</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
and father-figure though I’d say he feels more traditional than
past leaders. Second up is Ya</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">manaka
</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">a</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">s
the groups heavy. He’s an expert marksman with a tough attitude
who’s always ready to call out his co-workers for getting slack or
going soft. Konno is the sorta comic-relief chubby guy strongman.
Mikawa is the other girl of the team who’s more outright </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">feminine</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
and gets a bit more time in the spotlight once Minami takes off.
Yoshimura is the young guy… that’s basically all there is to him.
On occasion the writers try to make him more scientifically minded
but it’s so </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">inconsistent</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
that it doesn’t stick. Speaking of science, the team has an R&D
member named Kaji who just up and </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">vanishes</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">somewhere</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
around episode thirty. </span></span>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><b> </b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>One
factor that really starts to </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">irritate</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
as the series stretches on is how skeptical the </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">whole</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
TAC team is about everything. Week after week people report monsters
and teammates offer theories only to be shot down with accusations
like drinking, hallucinations, or simply being horny. A whole village
might report a monster attack and be accused of being bumpkins for
their trouble. This happens in other Ultra shows yet it’s </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">ampped
up so much</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
in this one that it makes our supposed heroes come across as lazy
assholes. I noticed a change in this during the later episodes as if
some of the writers realized how much they’d been using this as a
crutch for cheap writing.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>For
the first time within the franchise there is a main villain in the
form of interdimensional invaders called Yapool. </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">They
come up lacking in the motivation department with the straightforward
intent of conquering other dimensions just for the sake of </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">evil</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
What they lack in personality is offset by how a continued threat
plays off of the usual case of the week structure. It works out best
when TAC is dealing with an unrelated issues like aliens only to have
Yapool throw themselves into the mix.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>After
</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">the
Yapool conflict is wrapped up and Minami leaves </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">the
show restructure</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">s</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
into something closer to the back end of </span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Return
of Ultraman</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">We
see more of Hokuto’s home life as he befriends a neighboring
brother sister pair the latter of which, </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Dan,
</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">becomes
way t</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">o</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">o
big of a character for his own good. This franchise has already had
plenty of loud, ugly kids and it wasn’t in need of another. </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I
guess someone in charge must’ve felt the same way since these
siblings go M.I.A. during the final stretch. That doesn’t stop us
from</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
a long string of adventures where Hokuto bonds with various </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">children
</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">however</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">One
very odd aspect of this shift in focus is the continued naming
convention of Terrible-Monsters. Early on it is established that
there are varying threats out there be it aliens, regular old
monsters, or giant critters augmented by Yapool called
Terrible-Monsters. Once Yapool is mostly defeated it would stand to
reason that the majority of foes would then fall in the first two
camps but the show just keeps calling em Terrible-Monsters.</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">It’s
the damnedest thing.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>It
strikes me that I totally forget to address another feature of this
show, a larger interest in cameos and interactions with past heroes.
Doubling-down on the connective tissue introduced during Return of
Ultraman, Ace frequently gets his butt bailed out by the likes of
Zoffy, Seven, or the newly introduced Father or Ultra. If you’re
really into that aspect of the franchise then I suppose this is a
cool treat. The flip-side is how it makes Ace look like a total wuss
who needs his family to fight battles for him.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>I’ve
been impressed across the ultra franchise with how each series tends
to find a </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">g</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">ood
stride and unique personality along the way. Q had the </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">whole</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
Outer Limits vibe, Ultraman was fun sci-fi, Ultraseven took a more
serious approach, and Return upped the </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">threat</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
level and action. Ace never manages to pull that off though and it’s
too cowardly to stick to the unique concepts it started with. </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
result is something generic that is</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
a step-down from its predecessors. The characters aren’t as rich,
the </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">writing</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
not as </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">fluid</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
the fights not as </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">thrilling</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
etc. </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Maybe
it was that the crew was starting to get worn out or that some of the
trump-card writers and directors like Jissoji and Toji </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">were
busy elsewhere</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
but there aren’t as many highlights to be found making this show
more fit for the hardcore fans. </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">It’s
just not a great show </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">which
is only further compounded as it losses steam and reaches a lousy
ending.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Even
</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">with
all its problems, Ace still has a few genuinely good episodes worthy
of viewing. There aren’t as many to chose from as there was with
previous shows and even the best of these come up short of the best
from other series. Each makes for some fun Friday night entertainment
though. I did want to make a special mention of episode 35 which I’ve
seen other reviewers bash for being terrible but man did it ever earn
some good giggles from this guy. In short it’s about bed-wetting. I
watched the same night as Zack Synder’s Justice League and is was
so refreshingly bonkers and </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">unpretentious</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
that it totally made up for the previous four hours of nonsense.</span></span></p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q_J0IoMSemk/YH5nHKdHDYI/AAAAAAAADqI/0DM9Z3-XxDUyzZBZ5xzuukShSNgjyWlFwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Ultraman%2BAce%2Bseries%2Breview%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q_J0IoMSemk/YH5nHKdHDYI/AAAAAAAADqI/0DM9Z3-XxDUyzZBZ5xzuukShSNgjyWlFwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Ultraman%2BAce%2Bseries%2Breview%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That lovely mural is nearing completion.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Episode
34: a terrible-monster dances on a rainbow over the sea</b></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>One
of the better, if not the best, examples from the Hokuto befriends
kids section of the series manages to throw some decent drama into
the mix. To be honest I barely remember the monster portion of this
one but the human element concerns a kid who </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">obsessively</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
collects special sea-shells. His dad did out at sea but the kids
older sister didn’t have the heart to tell him the truth. Instead
she gave him so BS about how dad will come home once he collects so
many rare shells. Hokuto makes it his duty to get this kid living and
socializing again. It’s </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">melodramatic</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
for sure but good fun all the same.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-style: normal;">E</span><span style="font-style: normal;">pisode
7: monster vs terrible-monster vs alien</span></b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-style: normal;"> </span></b><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Early
on the tone of Ace is a bit more adult than what it becomes after a
few revisions and nowhere is that more evident than this Yamanaka
focuses tale. As the title suggest there are multiple problems for
TAC to deal with, one of the neat advantages of recurring villains,
and Yamanka’s lady gets caught in the crossfire. Not an amazing
outing but a solid example of what the show could have done had it
stuck to its original structure.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Episode
38: </b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Resurrection</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>!
Father of Ultra!</b></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"> </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span> </span>Seeing
as the Ultra franchise is a Japanese thing it’s understandable that
episodes dedicated to holidays we </span><span style="font-style: normal;">westerners</span><span style="font-style: normal;">
love are somewhat rare. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">Occasionally</span><span style="font-style: normal;">
these toku franchises will dive into a Halloween or Christmas outing
but it’s not </span><span style="font-style: normal;">quite the same</span><span style="font-style: normal;">
and doesn’t always </span><span style="font-style: normal;">scratch
that seasonal itch</span><span style="font-style: normal;">. This
Christmas episode however is one of the nuttiest damn holidays
specials I’ve seen in quite some time and I own </span><span style="font-style: normal;">Christmas
specials featuring ass massage techniques.</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Hokuto
accompanies his neighbors to visit an orphanage run by their dear
friend. The plan is to give the wee kids a great time with gifts, a
play, fake snowmen, you name it. Suddenly a bizarre winter storm
breaks out with lightning that causes blindness and bleeding from the
eyes. Some weirdo has summoned an evil spirit to punish people for
celebrating this devilish western holiday, oh and Santa shows up too.
To say things get out of hand is an understatement. And while the
kids can get downright annoying this is a major treat for anyone who
craves giant monster fights and ocular trauma as part of their yule
tide celebrations.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-style: normal;">E</span><span style="font-style: normal;">pisode
</span><span style="font-style: normal;">23</span><span style="font-style: normal;">:
Zoffy Appears, Game Changer</span></b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-style: normal;"> </span></b><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Despite
what the title says this one has very little to do with Zoffy </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">as
it basically marks the end of the Yapool plotline. Granted they carry
on a little further and make some occasional appearances but this is
roughly the cut-o</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">f</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">f
point. Our baddies sure know who to make an exit though with a great
big scheme and a freaky psychedelic fight against Ace. </span></span>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>The
story begins with some odd priest who travels Japan as something of a
pied piper. He encourages kids to dance and sing some crazy shit only
to whisk them away from our reality. Yapool has figured out that
there’s no need to </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">conquer</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">humanity</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
if they simply make sure there’s no future generations to deal
with. By snatching all the kids they hope to ensure a slow extinction
for the human race. Naturally Ace has to brave a trip to alternate
dimensions in order to </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">safeguard</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
the future of Earth.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>Ace is often at its best when it goes outright nuts and there’s
enough crazy to make this one sing along with some more dramatic
moments for added depth. Everything about it from cinematography to
editing is just a bit more refined making for an excellent episode.</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Episode
17: Summer Horror Story: The Demon Woman of Hotarugawara</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><b> </b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>I
neglected to point out during </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">past
reviews the commencement of seasonal horror story sections which, I
believe, started with Return of Ultraman</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
basic idea is that come summer, winter, or both there will be a three
or </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">four</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
week </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">sequence</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
of spooky tales. </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">That
is in theory however as two of </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Ace’s
summer scares</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
simply have a larger amount of supernatural tomfoolery about them
than the average adventure. That </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">meekness</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
goes out the door with this one which is pure old-fashioned Japanese
horror.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>The
episode kicks off in attention-grabbing fashion by having people
seemingly </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">devoured</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
by </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">fireflies</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
right down to the bone. One nighttime car crash after another with
the skeletal aftermath looking something like that old don’t drink
and drive PSA. </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">This
particular stretch of road is important to TAC as they plan on having
a nifty new weapon transported through there. It’s up to the whole
team to figure out what’s up and who the spooky lady in the mask
is.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>A
very </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">rare Minami focused
story </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">sees</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">her</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
befriend</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">ing</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
a wheelchair-bound girl who may be the only potential witness </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">to
these strange events</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">This
gives us a great insight into her personality, her methods, plus it
feels so classic to have a </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">horror</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
tale from a female point of view.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Offering great atmosphere,
some much needed attention for Minami, and a unique monster this one
is just a damn good time.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"> </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span> </span>Clearly
Ace doesn’t inspire the same level of admiration as its brethren
but it made for decent enough viewing to ease through these previous
months of continuing semi-lockdown. And </span><span style="font-style: normal;">it
hasn’t lessened the hold this franchis</span><span style="font-style: normal;">e
</span><span style="font-style: normal;">has over the household since
</span><span style="font-style: normal;">I’ll be kicking of Ultraman
Taro come this Friday. Expect a write-up on that one in the
summertime. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">In the meantime
I’ve got another work week ahead of me so I’d best enjoy what
free time there is and see you all back here this weekend or so. </span>
</p>Justin Passickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17507223613265525734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4140446227055533955.post-12883597523103261182021-04-10T03:31:00.006-07:002021-04-10T03:31:25.676-07:00Snack Report: April 2021<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R1JeG7xHdEM/YHF97DTktRI/AAAAAAAADpk/UO7iTyTAYXQ0tINSseZzpxS07rUBKLJUwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Snack%2BReport%2BApril%2B2021%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R1JeG7xHdEM/YHF97DTktRI/AAAAAAAADpk/UO7iTyTAYXQ0tINSseZzpxS07rUBKLJUwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Snack%2BReport%2BApril%2B2021%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>Hippity Hoppity, Easter came and went. Honestly the holiday barely
registered this year with the past week having far more notable
developments that have led to half-a-dozen rewrites of this intro. We
put down a very old and sickly dog, no need for condolences as it was
more than time to send him on. Plus on my personal front I managed to
get my first Maderna shot and start a new job in, looks at watch,
like sixteen hours. Even so any man with a love for ridiculous food
appreciates the wave ff candy and promise of pig portions that
pervade early Spring. And since food is such a part of this
supposedly holy time why not dive into a brand new snack report? Full
disclosure; there’s very little in the way of actual holiday stuff
so much as it’s new Spring crap along with a few stragglers.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Dunkin Donut
Mocha Latte Cereal</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>The line-up of
Dunkin Donuts cereals came out many months ago and I’ve had ample
opportunity to bring them all home. Timing was always an issue
however as it’s tough to rationalize buying these when my cart
already 2 or 3 other limited cereals. At last the star aligned and I
finally brought some home resulting in the discovery of one of the
most pleasant surprises in the cereal aisle. Let’s not get ahead of
ourselves though.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>I often complain
about the tendency for ceral packaging to be clean, blind, and pretty
much lifeless. Whoever designed the packaging for these Dunkin
cereals found a way to turn that clean ultra-modern aesthetic into a
plus. Not only do the fronts look somewhat like a coffee bag but
these might have the best side-art I’ve ever seen an a breakfast
item.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Cracking it open
unleashes a very strong scent, you can smell a bowl from across a
room. It’s very mocha-ish with a hint of chocolate and by god is
that ever a great set-up for the flavor. So many companies have
failed at coffee themed cereals but this has enough sweetness and
chocolaty undertones with a great texture that it feels like an
improvement on Cocoa-Puffs. It looks good, smells strong, and tastes
great. Awesome cereal worthy of at least a 4.5 out of 5.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Dunkin Donuts
Caramel Machiatto Ceral</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>It’s a sad truth
for us some of us to deal with but, to my knowledge at least, there
has never been a truly awesome caramel cereal. This other Dunkin
cereal is indeed fighting that uphill battle yet fails to accomplish
as much as its sibling. I’m gonna cut to the chase and say it’s
not a horrible cereal just a very troubled one.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>On the plus side
this shares many of the same qualities as the Mocha version from good
packaging to decent texture. The problem is solely in the flavor
department where by taking the machiato approach everything from
scent to taste all has this weird burnt tinge to it. It’s like
someone overcooked your cereal which is such a weird thing to
experience. I’ve still been able to take on a few bowls thanks to
the general quality of this brand but I won’t be returning to this
one again as it just isn’t good enough. Maybe a 2.5 outta 5.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Krave Chocolate
Chip Cookie Dough Cereal</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Holy shit this
stuff is awesome. Oh wait, spoiler alert! Holy Shit this stuff is
awesome. Let’s be honest here. Krave is probably the best product
line to hit the breakfast aisle in the last decade, stuff’s pretty
much bachelor chow made real. This newest limited edition flavor is
modeled on chocolate chip cookie dough and man does it ever fill a
hole.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Us oldies
routinely whine about the days when Cookie Crisp was actually good.
It’s tough to pinpoint whether that was ever really the case or if
everyone of a certain age simply has some massive nostalgia goggles
going on. For me though this version of Krave reminds me of what I
thought Cookie Crisp was like and for that it earns a perfect 5 out
of 5.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Pillsbury Peaches
and Cream Cinnamon Rolls</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>A returning item
from last spring, where it was lost in the haze of early pandemic
shopping, is here to try and gain an audience. Can’t tell ya how
stoked I was for these things. Peaches and Blueberries are my
absolute downfall when it comes to fruit flavors so combining just
one of them with sweat baked goods was bound to get me revved up.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>First off the
presentation is pretty solid. The package is undeniably springy
though I wish the peach flavored cream was just a bit more
obnoxiously colored. Taste wise these are just ok. There’s an
underlining peach element, no doubt about it, but there’s just not
enough to truly make it pop. This is only further compounded when you
consider that Pilsbury is often just across the store from far better
cinnamon rolls. Not bad but a little disappointing. Let’s say a 3
out of 5 for effort.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vVC72OoQcOs/YHF-L2GPSbI/AAAAAAAADps/frOf3moh1ncZc7Eff1PcALVCc5M-cRu0wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Snack%2BReport%2BApril%2B2021%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vVC72OoQcOs/YHF-L2GPSbI/AAAAAAAADps/frOf3moh1ncZc7Eff1PcALVCc5M-cRu0wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Snack%2BReport%2BApril%2B2021%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Peeps Cereal</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>While nowhere near
a new item Peeps cereal has managed to elude me for the past couple
years. In 2019 it vanished from local shelves in like a day while
early 2020 provided little chance for proper snack hunting. After all
this time there was nothing even close to expectations since I was
just relieved to finally plop a box into my cart.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>I’m aware there’s
a large contingent of folks who hate Peeps marshmallows. I call these
people sad lonely husks and maybe you’re one of them. The good news
for you is that this cereal is hardly an accurate translation of the
candy you hate so much. You might think that would piss me off but
for what it lacks in proper Peep flavor it makes up for by tasting
like a very good vanilla cake. There’s just something about
whatever grain mixture they use that when combined with marshmallow
flavor that adds up to cake. The only thing close to normal Peeps is
the aftertaste though even that isn’t all that powerful. It may be
mismarketed but it’s a decent cereal. Gonna be a bit generous and
say 3 ¼ outta 5.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Rise Strawberry
Melon Energy</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>For well over a
decade Mtn Dew has had, let’s not say a problem, but at least an
obsession with the energy drink market. At the same time so few of
their attempts make much of an impression on me since it’s almost
an inevitability that Monster or Rockstar will have something better
on hand. You gotta admire their persistence though cause Dew is back
at it with their new line of Rise energy drinks. There’s currently
five or six flavors out there but I opted to start with Strawberry
Melon as melons are a sadly overlooked flavor in American sodas.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Gotta give Dew some
points for the packaging. Dunno what the fruity colored Lion King
emblem is all about but it’s noticeable from afar and the colors
are eye-catching. Both the smell and taste seemed remarkably lite.
That’s because I didn’t know they were aiming for the low-sugar
energy market with a whole can containing just 4 grams of sugar. This
exact flavor however comes up middle of the road since there’s not
enough of any one thing to really make it unique. It’s clean
enough, doesn’t cause a sugar crash, just doesn’t have enough
flavor or refreshing quality to stay with you. I’m giving this one
a 2.5 out of 5 with a note that other flavors could obviously fare
better.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Moa Burger
Pringles</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>If there’s one
thing I’ve actually loved about the past year it’s the
awkwardness of poorly timed tie-in products. Remember way back in May
when Wonder Woman was all-over bags of Dorittos? This newest wrinkle
in time was meant to launch with the newest Halo game only it, like
so many Xbox games, only exists in theory. OK I’m being cute but
still it’s weird to see Halo chips when there hasn’t been a new
game in how long? Plus the Moa Burger is a deep-enough cut that I’d
completely lapsed on it. Even with such temporal tomfoolery the most
interesting thing about this is the convoluted concept of taking a
fictional burger and translating it into a real chip.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Before we talk
about the flavor I’ve gotta get after the Pringles packaging
department for just a moment. While they did include the Halo logo
and pictures of the Emu-like Moa the packaging is nowhere near sci-fi
enough. The result is far too many people thinking this is a
legitimate food item and asking what the fuck a Moa burger is,
prompting me to explain a pop-cultural reference I barely understand
to begin with.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>So how do they
taste though? Peppery, very peppery. Sorta makes me think of what
would happen if you topped an ostrich burger with spicy guacamole. I
think Pringles made a mistake by making these ruffled however since
they’re a bit too dry. Their regular approach would leave some more
grease that would probably give this a nice summertime grill flavor.
Not sure wat to give em as they’re somewhere between 2.5 and 3 out
of five depending on your personal love for pepper heavy chips.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vqm2dhmtvjE/YHF-VN3czGI/AAAAAAAADpw/Uoak--_ENE0ELOAgelOgIqCJXtHPTAW-ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Snack%2BReport%2BApril%2B2021%2B%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vqm2dhmtvjE/YHF-VN3czGI/AAAAAAAADpw/Uoak--_ENE0ELOAgelOgIqCJXtHPTAW-ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Snack%2BReport%2BApril%2B2021%2B%25283%2529.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Kool-aid Topical
Punch Cotton Candy</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b> </b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>No
idea how long Kool-aid has had their own cotton candy but I found
this bag among an assortment of dollar store Easter goodies and man
what a pick up. Think of the best cotton candy you’ve had, roll it
around in Kool-aid powder, and ta-da! Instant magic. As a lifelong
cotton candy maniac the only thing that bothers me about this stuff
is that there’s apparently only this tropical punch flavor. Just
imagine how well this could work combined with the likes of
Sharkleberry Fin!</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Already over the
moon for this fluffy cloud of diabetes I found another reason to
marvel when returning days later for another handful. Unlike most
cotton candy this had neither shrunk down nor crystallized. It was
just as fresh as was upon first opening the bag. Continuing to scarf
down the sugary fluff I wonder who could possibly be responsible for
such a majestic creation. While the item is credited to Hilco and
Candyriffic, the same groups responsible for Kool-aid popping candy
but the real thing to note is this is made in Mexico. Dunno what you
guys are doing south of the boarder but keep it up. 4.5 out of 5.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Reese’s
Marshmallow Top Peanut Butter Cups</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Always reliable for
something festive, Reese’s decided to launch a whole new variety
this Easter that brought the wonders of marshmallows to the mix.
Seeing as this is normal a great combo what could possibly go wrong?
Well the problem is the “marshmallow top” tastes more like white
fudge or the stuff used on yogurt pretzels more than it does
Marshmallows. That total disconnect between concept and execution
leads to a candy that’s ok-ish but pales in comparison to even it’s
basic brethren. Reese’s failed us this time guy but it’s still
alright tasting so it at least deserves a 2.5 out of 5.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Oh my god I finally
finished this post. This has been one of the most notable and strange
weeks in recent memory and now I’m looking at the prospect of
actual work again. Granted it’s very much part time so I should be
able to stay true to my goals for the blog this year. If you’ll
allow me to forgo a spiffy outro then I’d much prefer to get this
edited, posted, all to make room for what comes next.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>Justin Passickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17507223613265525734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4140446227055533955.post-78128565654641681872021-03-31T15:50:00.006-07:002021-03-31T15:50:26.689-07:00The Beast Within Book and Film Comparison<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-znnkuWk1tbs/YGT8akBJvjI/AAAAAAAADpM/Lc--HRF--7406Lz31J9GJJtR0LlKocEowCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/The%2BBeast%2BWithin%2BBook%2Band%2BFilm%2BComparison%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-znnkuWk1tbs/YGT8akBJvjI/AAAAAAAADpM/Lc--HRF--7406Lz31J9GJJtR0LlKocEowCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/The%2BBeast%2BWithin%2BBook%2Band%2BFilm%2BComparison%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>Most everyone has favorite seasonal films. Usually it’s the holiday
variety, say Christmas or Halloween. Other times it’s something
more obscure and flexible like a season or birthday. Years ago I
wrote about a Springtime obsession of my own, a little monster movie
called<i> The Beast Within</i>. Originally introduced to me via the
wonders of <i>Monstervision</i> the film’s atmosphere along with
themes of a boy blossoming into a twisted sort of manhood always come
to mind during the brightening days and first thunderstorms of
Spring. Like a good many horror flicks from back in the day this one
was based on a novel. Problem was the book was nowhere near complete
by the time a script had to be put together resulting is two
divergent tales built on a pile of very similar bones.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>The novel was
something outside my purview for a the longest time. I’d seen some
slight debate online about how it compared to the film with many
folks labeling the movie counterpart as an abomination without much
in the way of meaningful comparisons. Eventually I manged to snap up
a cheap paperback copy at a local book store. The first attempt at
giving it a read didn’t make it very far but guess what… it’s
Spring again. Taking a break between comics I finally went dove in
and completed the book. If you wouldn’t mind indulging I’d like
to do something of a civil service and detail the differences between
source novel and a favorite flick of yesteryear. Naturally you should
expect a certain level of spoilers though I’m gonna leave some
mystery for newbies.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Many people report
the movie as only being an adaption of the back end of the book and
this is sort of a half-truth. The basic premise of an assault leading
to the birth of a boy named Michael who goes through some violent
changes is intact but the angle of approach is far different. See the
novel is divided into four parts with each covering a particular era
of the story. Part one concerns the Scruggs and what happened to
Jimmy Connors, part two details the relationship between Eli and
Carolyn and her assault in the woods, part three is all about a
difficult period in Michael’s Childhood, and part four is the
return of that problem in his teenage years. The film builds
everything around that final quarter while showing portions of the
first two and only making a mention of the third. The details of
those earlier acts are augmented further with different backgrounds,
names, extra characters, and a new origin for the monster. Those last
two items makes the biggest difference but let’s go into a bit more
detail.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Part one was easily
my biggest hurdle when first tackling the book as reading about the
miserable marriage of Henry and Sarah Scruggs in Pea Ridge hardly
gets the blood pumping. Henry is a wretched bible thumper whose
god-fearing nature goes so deep as to shun the notion of procreation
with his own wife. This, along with severe isolation, makes Sarah
more than eager to stray when flim-flam salesman Jimmy Connors shows
on their doorstep after his car breaks down. In this take Henry find
Sarah and Jimmy taking a literal roll in the hay only to lock Connors
in the cellar and murder the wife. Henry is so far gone he actually
believes Connors to be the devil made flesh and must keep him
imprisoned and alive. Over years of inhuman treatment, Jimmy becomes
more beast than man and gains an opportunity to escape captivity once
Henry finally succumbs to a failing heart
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>In the film version
of these events the Scruggs do not exist nor does traveling salesman
Jimmy. Instead Billy Connors, a local boy from Nioba Mississippi
fools around with Sarah Curwin which gets a woman killed and the boy
likewise locked in a cellar. It’s not just years of torture
changing his mind and body that results in the monstrous form he
takes on either. Billy happens to know some old native magic based on
Cicada that allow for a shot at revenge at the cost of ones humanity.
Right away these changes have huge ripple effects. Not only does
skipping past this part add an air of mystery but, unlike Henry
Scruggs, Billy has several opponents who live on which makes for a
supernatural family feud. Where’s Richard Dawson when we need him?</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Part two is largely
about the relationship between Michael's parents, Eli and Carolyn.
Both simple small town folk, her a spunky waitress at first and him a
hulking lumber worker with little education. We get to their first
meeting and see their day to day existence up to the point when it is
thrown out of whack as the creature murders their dog and rapes
Carolyn. As the pair were trying to conceive a child anyway she
chooses to believe the resulting baby is Eli’s. Adding a weird
layer to this take is that the creature soon dies of a snakebite
leaving none the wiser as to his existence.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>In the film these
two are newlyweds driving through the country. Carolyn is attacked
while Eli is searching for help with their car. They both suspect the
kid might be from that night but love their son all the same. The
characterizations are vastly different here with Eli in particular
being more of an everyman urban type which makes him bristle at
dealing with all the hillbilly nonsense in town later on. Their
living situation also solves a lingering mystery from the book as
that version of Michael wonders if getting away from the woods might
solve his condition. In the film his location merely changes the
symptoms. While not explicitly shown we learn that this version of
the beast was shot not long after assaulting Carolyn.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BwR6uScVRYY/YGT8jjuQVaI/AAAAAAAADpQ/LpX_IesSdnQIowkY1n4sMtFazxPF2kHowCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/The%2BBeast%2BWithin%2BBook%2Band%2BFilm%2BComparison%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BwR6uScVRYY/YGT8jjuQVaI/AAAAAAAADpQ/LpX_IesSdnQIowkY1n4sMtFazxPF2kHowCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/The%2BBeast%2BWithin%2BBook%2Band%2BFilm%2BComparison%2B%25282%2529.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Part three is
arguably the most interesting portion of the novel and is difficult
to compare to the film since it’s pretty much entirely skipped
over. It concerns Michael’s upbringing and childhood from his
affinity with animals to his troubles at school. Eventually the kid
begins to have nightmares that manifest as violent behavior where he
runs out to the wilderness at night to hunt and kill. For the movie
there’s just a few hints of a time in his childhood where he
suffered from “terrible nightmares” along with a brief mentioning
of his affinity for nature.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Finally part four
is where the real meat and potatoes of the story come to a head with
Michael’s problems returning to an even worse extent as a teenager.
Well sorta. The film makes it that he’s deathly ill and his parents
return to this small town in order to learn whatever they can about
the kids potential father. In the book this resurgence kicks off at
the end of part three when Michael enters puberty and receives a
saliva handy-j from a classmate. Yes you read that right.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Contrasting this
final section is total night and day as each version has made such
different recipes out of roughly the same ingredients. In prose it’s
about a family who has lived and worked in this same town while
Michael has two ladies of interest, the lovely Susanne and easy
patty. In movie land the family are total strangers to this location
with Michael finding romance with a girl named Amanda Curwin. The
supporting cast feels much larger even though the actual headcount is
likely the same. That’s likely due to the number of book characters
who factor into the equation for maybe a chapter or even just a few
pages whereas film characters feel like they get a bigger piece of
the screentime pie. Events move even further from the source novel as
Michael’s final transformation and fate and are vastly different,
though I won’t spoil those for you except to say the movie is much
more slimy.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Getting to my take
on the which is better debate I obviously have some bias for the
movie. I’ve found it to be a great source of gross comfort viewing
for decades whereas I finished the novel just this past week. That
being said I’m still quite confident the movie takes home the prize
thanks to a variety of solid choices. First off is the mystery
aspect. The novel leaves nothing to the imagination, telling us
everything in linear fashion leaving zero question as to what is
happening. Not only does this leave zero room for surprises but it
actually makes it so the reader is better informed than the
characters so our feelings are somewhat ditched from theirs. In the
film we see a horrifying incident and move on to a family with a sick
teenager and a need for answers. Not only are we eager to learn about
the assailant but we’re immediately drawn in by a parents need to
save their which doesn’t even factor into the book until halfway.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Another winning
factor for the movie is atmosphere. It’s got that sort of odd tone
some 80s horror flicks had in that it felt like an old 50s drive-in
flick only with a level of sleaze and gore afforded by the era of
excess. Add to that the setting of wet and foggy southern United
States complete with cold nights and dead, spindly trees just makes
it all come together. While the novel is likewise centered on the
south there’s not much characteristic of the area save for
poisonous snakes and some lingo. Much of the environment is very
bland and almost too comfortable since the characters have spent
their entire lives there. On the hand this helps the themes of the
story since it’s about the dangers in your own home, there’s just
not enough detail to make it stick. And I won’t go into a full
paragraph on this but the monster element in the film is so much
nastier than the mental lycanthropy stuff in the pages. The last
round that might hold any weight is that of comparison to other works
of this kind. The movie holds up quite well alongside gross-out stuff
from the 1980s whereas the book seem really generic when contrasted
with horror literature of the time.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Each version still
makes for solid entertainment and make for a fun exercise where you
pick which pieces you’d include for your own optimal variation.
I’ll leave you with that and the advice to at least sick out one of
these versions. The movie is out-of-print stateside but there’s a
nice European blu-ray out there for those with means. Otherwise it
sometimes pops up on weirder streaming services. Meanwhile the book
is slightly rare but not so much as to be unobtainable. You just
might have to put in moderately more work than normal depending on
the current crop of online auctions and such. And for those of you
who’ve taken in one or both of these formats do share your thoughts
on what works about each of them.</p>Justin Passickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17507223613265525734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4140446227055533955.post-53750882557312917032021-03-25T20:39:00.004-07:002021-03-25T20:39:17.387-07:00Kingdom Hearts Marathon Part 1<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HEWaBxYBskY/YF1WzW2876I/AAAAAAAADow/MER_SUc6HZEnbLFzdnzf1cQgsx4zQ6-dwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Kingdom%2BHearts%2BMarathon%2BPart%2B1%2B%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HEWaBxYBskY/YF1WzW2876I/AAAAAAAADow/MER_SUc6HZEnbLFzdnzf1cQgsx4zQ6-dwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Kingdom%2BHearts%2BMarathon%2BPart%2B1%2B%25281%2529.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span> </span>While I’ve been an avid gamer my whole life there is one point in
history where it was the hobby of choice. That period began about
midway through the first Playstation’s lifespan before truly
peaking during the following generation of consoles. I’d been lucky
enough to grab a Dreamcast near the end of it’s run, an Xbox from
the holiday it launched, and a PS2 a couple years after that, plus my
nephew owned a Gamecube. This was an era of truly astonishing video
games as companies had the tech and cash to make some wild ideas come
to life but had yet to become obsessed with online features and
market research. So many favorites come from this time be it <i>Shenmue</i>
1-2, <i>Jet Set Radio</i> (and the even better Future), <i>Otogi</i>,
crap loads of <i>Final Fantasy</i>, <i>Tales of</i>, <i>Katamari</i>,
just so much wonderful gaming. Then there was a game so daffy
sounding it just had to be a work of Genius, <i>Kingdom Hearts</i>.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>I got the first
game not long after getting a PS2 and was quickly sucked in. I missed
both variations of the <i>Chain of </i><i>M</i><i>emories </i>spin-off
but was first in line for KHII. For some reason I ended up getting
distracted near the end and failed to reach the finish line. In the
following years more spin-offs would emerge on different consoles
with me making a promise to one day go back and catch up. Even as the
long-awaited third main game came barreling our way I wasn’t
prepared, having yet to carve out the time to do a proper series
run-though. This past Christmas brought me the complete ps4 packing,
and <i>Melody of Memory </i>showed up soon after. So I’ve spent the
vast majority of my gaming hours in 2021 marching through the
franchise with only small breaks for some <i>Trine</i> and <i>Ys</i>
as life requires some variety. With a healthy sized chunk under my
belt I thought I’d share the journey with you all.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i><b>Kingdom Hearts</b></i></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>The immediate worry
when returning to an old favorite is whether or not it holds up to
your memories. Plus there’s always the potential loss of your
former skills (oh how I used to be so damn good at Mario 3). Coming
back all these years later it was amazing how well <i>Kingdom Heart</i><i>s</i>
has held up. Most of the problems I have with it now were the same I
had back then. And while there’s plenty of little issues spread
throughout the adventure the total experience never feels broken or
aimless.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>When the game was
new it was easy to fear how it might become some heartless corporate
cash-grab via the melding of Disney and <i>Final Fantasy</i> with new
heroes and mythology tying it all together. The surprising aspects of
the mixture were how the game used FF stuff sparingly, paid honor to
all these classic animated films, and let the original stuff take the
wheel.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>This first outing
is so pure in it’s structure as a young boy named Sora is separated
from his home and friends by interdimensional beings known as
Heartless who serve at the behest of a league of Disney villains and
a strange man named Ansem. Teaming up with Goofy and Donald Duck the
trio travels from world to world befriending characters from
different properties and slowly unfolding bizarre questions about
existence.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>The gameplay
elements from exploration to battles were all fairly basic. Each
world might bring its own wrinkle but largely players are running,
jumping, and slashing their way through through thousands of enemies
and the occasional giant boss. While there’s a few nifty trick like
a lock-on and customizable quick commands there are still times when
players must contort their hands to scroll through menus while also
surviving tense encounters. In fact the game is surprisingly
challenging given the subject matter with a few nasty bosses to
contend with. That brings up the topic of difficulty balance which is
something of an issue throughout the series. This one is mostly
consistent save for a few spikes, the wonderland boss for example is
a bit much for so early in the game.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>There’s countless
little issues to be found yet the adventure never feels cheap,
broken, or aimless. Even with some control issues, difficulty spikes,
and a few portions that feel underdeveloped (lookin at you
Halloweentown), the game manages to keep me hooked decades later on
what was probably my third or fourth playthrough. There’s a reason
the game became an overnight sensation which largely that nameless
sort of passion that just permeates the project. You never feel
slighted because there’s always a new discovery or wonder to be
fund, all of it leading to what is still one of the greatest, and
saddest, endings in all of gaming.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i><b>Re: Chain of
Memories</b></i></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Allow me a short
tangent if you will. What a minute, this is my blog so I’ll tangent
however much I want. Ya know how there’s like a dozen <i>Assassin’s
Creed</i> games? (not accounting for weirdo spin-offs). Well I’ve
beaten all but maybe 2 of em, even wwent so far as to platinum
<i>Odyssey</i>. My point is that no matter how much you enjoy a
series there’s always an installment that just doesn’t jive. In
that series it’s the original and Unity. With Kingdom Hearts it’s
this card based midquel.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Originally put
together as a Game Boy Advance title this was later remind in 3-D
using assets from the main entries. The story concerns Sora and his
pals being lead to a bizarre ruin called Castle Oblivion that messes
with the memories of those who venture within. Using cards the heroes
are able to revisit locations from the first game restructured into
small rooms of a seemingly endless castle along with simulated takes
on their allies and acquaintances. Within the franchise this game is
notable for introducing this location, Organization XIII, and major
characters like Namine and Axel.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>So what is it that
puts me off about <i>Chain of Memories</i> is that’s it’s a
combination of two of my least liked sub-genres; card games and
dungeon crawls. You’re using cards to navigate this endless maze of
rooms based on events you’ve already experienced while attempting
to grasp a weird new combat style where enemies can cancel your
healing simply by playing a higher number. Those who have gotten into
the combat sings its praises and I’m sure there’s something there
but it’s a tough one to stay motivated on to the extent that I
decided to move past it.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>The key factors
that made me skip a full playthrough for now is that I knew the game
would kill my pace, and I already knew the main story well-enough to
continue. One day I’m gonna sit myself down and make an honest
attempt at this one but it’s gonna be a while and possibly I’ll
swing for the original GBA version as it looks a bit more manageable
with a slower pace.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O8FUEgHmH88/YF1XAQ0LT1I/AAAAAAAADo0/DudtEngdoB4Cyy5Ov5xl48DT8HQOXsW0QCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Kingdom%2BHearts%2BMarathon%2BPart%2B1%2B%25283%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O8FUEgHmH88/YF1XAQ0LT1I/AAAAAAAADo0/DudtEngdoB4Cyy5Ov5xl48DT8HQOXsW0QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Kingdom%2BHearts%2BMarathon%2BPart%2B1%2B%25283%2529.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i><b>358/2 Days
</b></i><b>story</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>While the entire
<i>Kingdom Hearts</i> Franchise is sort of available on modern
consoles, entries like this Nintendo DS game are condensed into story
digest movies. I’ve heard the actual game can be something of a
drag as the game-play portions are very padded but I’ve no way of
knowing how true those statements are. As for the story this is a
nice slice of the KH world.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Beginning near the
later portions of the first game, running alongside <i>Chain of
Memories</i>, and leading straight into KH II we get to see the
experiences of Roxas, Axel, and a new character named Xion.
Considering this was released after part II players already knew the
fates of the first two but had never heard of the third which of
course means you should prepare for some tragic stuff. Really the
most important factor here is how the game establishes the theme of
this series being about trios of friends who are caught up in a cruel
and outlandish conflict. As a viewing experience it’s not too bad
either though you get the feeling you’re missing out on some
developments regarding the other members of Organization XIII.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Despite warnings
about the games repetitive nature and the fact that I now know the
main story I’d actually like to settle down with an original DS
copy someday.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i><b>Kingdom Hearts
II</b></i></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>As I mentioned
earlier I failed to complete KH II way back in the day. I’d
wondered whether I’d have the same issue of motivation this time
out and this newest play-through of the game helped me to better
identify why I fell behind in the first place. If the first game is
that crush you always cherish, this one is the well-meaning romance
that turns abusive.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>I must make it
clear that I’m not declaring this to be a bad game, simply a lesser
follow-up. There’s still tons I love about the adventure from it’s
wild opening hours as Roxas to the selections of worlds that includes
the likes of <i>Tron</i> and <i>Steamboat Willie</i>. New party
members Auron and the aforementioned Tron are always a blast to fight
alongside. Plus the story still contains that wild mix of childlike
glee and soul-crushing depression.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Picking up from the
weird events of <i>Chain of Memories</i> leaves Sora in the position
of still searching for his friends while dealing with old villains
like Melificent and new threats in the guise of the nobodies and
Organization XIII. There’s a lot of mythology and world-building as
players finally learn who the real villain is while also visiting
important locals like Disney Castle. What’s odd about the story is
that it feels like they were trying to wrap things up even though
they’d yet to really reveal what was going on. Way back when it was
new that wasn’t so much of an issue but when playing the series in
a row it sticks out as shortsighted.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>There are roughly
three interlocked issues that make part II such an irritating topic
for me. One is the forced variety that changes so many of the games
big moments into special mini-games or transforms them into quicktime
events. This combines and contributes to a wildly unbalanced
difficulty which is somehow a bit worse in the final mix version
thanks to the addition of another weirdly overpowered boss in the
last act. Seriously I thought he must be one of those moments you’re
supposed to loose give the damage output but no. The second round
sounded sorta like a Dragonball episode with me screaming my way to
victory. It drives me crazy because the game doesn’t offer the
challenge for a player to master the gameplay but instead asks them
to adapt to whatever new novelty happens to permeate the next fight.
You might spend a minute making sure Donald and Goofey have the right
skills for a big boss only to find you’re forced to pair only with
Simba and pound the triangle button to monotonous prompts.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>The last part of
the trio is the drive system. In the first game you slowly gain
access to new maneuvers like the ever so useful dodge roll or high
jump. In this game those commands are gained and upgraded by upgraded
special battle forms called drives which are fixed to a quickly
extinguished gauge and each form has their own unique leveling
method. That locks many of the best abilities behind multiple
progression walls as players must obtain a form and then find how
best to upgrade it. Adding insult is how the game basically neglects
to tell you how important this whole subset of upgrading is so some
players may wonder why the hell they keep struggling without a proper
dodge or high jump.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>The pacing also
suffers from the choice of having players visit nearly every world
twice. You lose a lot of the sense of progression by having to
retread each area. Plus some of the worlds have been needlessly
changed. Whereas Atlantica had formally brought a new wrinkle to
combat with its swimming mechanics it now served as a dreadfully
simplistic rhythm game.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>I still have a soft
spot for a lot of what this game has to offer. The opening section as
Roxas ranks among the great left-turns in gaming, Donald and Goofy
are still the best support crew, and there’s a much better
selection of worlds to play through. The constant forced variety and
nonsensical challenges do a lot to curb my overall enjoyment of the
adventure. Still; I finally finished the game after all these years
and was newly free to delve deeper.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nHtbkHpg0OQ/YF1XLoTJlrI/AAAAAAAADo8/rl7zUy0tbNs0vQgR0vVAi3HHm5nf5AwcQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Kingdom%2BHearts%2BMarathon%2BPart%2B1%2B%25282%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nHtbkHpg0OQ/YF1XLoTJlrI/AAAAAAAADo8/rl7zUy0tbNs0vQgR0vVAi3HHm5nf5AwcQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Kingdom%2BHearts%2BMarathon%2BPart%2B1%2B%25282%2529.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i><b>Birth by Sleep</b></i></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Despite all my
irritation towards part II this prequel totally revived my love for
the franchise thanks to a major overhaul of fighting and upgrading
with storytelling that alters the focus of the greater mythology.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Expanding on the
concept of multiple playable characters players now have the ability
to play through distinctly different takes on the game by playing as
3 separate characters. Once all three campaigns are complete a final
episode unlocks and, if you’ve done the needed steps, a secret
episode can be unlocked after that. Suffice to say this was a longer
experience with a Kingdom Hearts title and that’s not even getting
into all the side content like kart-racing, arena battles, and a very
useful boardgame that lets you acquire and upgrade commands.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Story wise this is
prequel begins ten years before the first game and immediately raises
major questions within the first few scenes involving Destiny Islands
and series villain Xehanort who looks much older than we’ve seen in
the other games. As for the three protagonists they range in combat
styles with very different personalities. Terra is arguably the
Aniken Skywalker of the series, a dopey meathead with a tendency to
make horrible choices. Not helping matters is his voice-actor who
delivers much of the dialogue in very bland manner. As for fighting
he’s a physical tank which makes his role as the first suggested
campaign makes sense. Second up is Ventus; a boy who plays, looks,
and sounds a whole lot like Roxas. Finally there’s the magically
attuned lady, Aqua. She’s sort of the soulful waif type and
requires the most mastery of command melding to turn her into a
spell-slinging badass. As everything unfolds you get to learn the
origin of major locations, the reasons why Sora and his friends were
drawn to this greater conflict, and start to ask questions about
larger matters like the Keyblade War.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>The biggest
contributors to my love for <i>Birth by Sleep </i>are the retooled
combat system and the accompanying command meld/ability upgrade
system. Both aspects are so perfectly connected it’s difficult to
think of them as separate entities. Battles themselves are largely
the same real-time hackfest they’ve always been. The pacing and
timing has been tightened, almost stiffened in a way that creates a
nice flow to combat. It’s easier to gauge when to attack, dodge,
and block. More complex moves like spells or special attacks are
handled as a sub-menu of equipped commands. Once each command is
mastered it can be mixed with others to form new ones that may
include permanent abilities providing more health, defense, or ways
to earn experience. Since you routinely have to upgrade small, basic
commands to make bigger and better versions upgrading becomes a joy
since you’re always accomplishing something of value. The command
system can be as basic or nutty as you desire. On my opening
play-through as Terra I mostly stuck to core stuff like Firaga,
stumbled into some Surges, etc. By the 3<sup>rd</sup> run as Aqua I
was creating top-tier rare commands that are almost game breaking in
their usefulness.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Unfortunately Birth
by Sleep still dabbles in the occasional bout of sudden nonsense,
namely the final battle of Ventus’s campaign. After two rounds of
straight dueling the game suddenly twists into a rock paper scissors
button mash to charge up a special attack that can miss the opponent,
oh and they take away your healing options too. It’s not even all
that challenging as it is confounding. Somewhat in the nonsense camp
are the shifting requirements to unlock the secret episode. This
becomes easier to do depending on your choice of difficulty. For the
standard difficulty, at least in the final mix version, you have to
hunt down every report, sticker, and take out 9999 enemies. The game
does not give you an easy method to track your K.O.s and what made it
so much worse for me is that nobody warned me of when the keyslinger
trophy pops. I spent hours turning the castle from Cinderella into a
slaughterhouse yet that goddamn trophy refused to pop. I added up
just the kill count between Aqua and Terrra & found myself
hundreds of enemies past the mark. Giving up in frustration I moved
on with the game only to find keyslinger unlocked upon finishing the
final episode… seriously. Speaking of the secret episode; that last
boss was another one of those weird difficulty spikes which is a
shame since this one generally has a steady challenge.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>All in all this was
the best entry since the original and a major bright spot in the
series marathon.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i><b>Re:coaded
story</b></i></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Re:coaded originally
released for the DS and to a certain extent seems like babies first
<i>Kingdom Hearts</i>. After serving as the record keeper during past
games, Jiminy Cricket finds his diary of the first adventure to be
mostly blank save for some entries he didn’t write. Seeking the aid
of King Micky and the others they digitally scan the journal and call
on the help of a data created Sora to eliminate the bugs that are
blocking information from being restored while visiting old locals
like Wonderland.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>I feel like very
few people properly discuss just how weird and meta this thing gets.
You’re watching video game variations of cartoon characters who are
in turn interacting with a digitized version of their friend and
another being who is the personification of a mystery journal. It’s
fuckin madness. It does have some importance to the overall narrative
since it brings up the topic of the trios from Birth and Days and
suggests how a certain villain might return. That said the story
doesn’t make for the most entertaining viewing experience.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Perhaps things
would be different if I’d actually played through the game as I
might then have developed a closer bond with Data Sora. Otherwise
it’s just such a strange and cumbersome way of presenting an
important bridge between titles since there’s endless corny
inspirational speeches, and two obvious stretches to pad out the game
including a last-minute return to Castle Oblivion. I still love the
way it sets up future games but I can see why people look down on
this one since this is such a cumbersome way to bridge titles
together.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Right this moment
I’m in the midst of <i>Dream Drop Distance</i>, with just a few
bits left to go before the big number III and Melody of Memory cap it
all off. Frankly I’m a bit surprised I haven’t lost my mind or
gotten totally sidetracked. There’s just something so inherently
thrilling to going all in on such unique and varied piece of
entertainment. Way back in the first game I fought a man who merged
with pure evil to become some sort of flesh-vessel. Now I’m
befriending spirits and helping out the Hunchback of Notre Dame. So
wish me luck dear readers as I continue this journey and down the
line, maybe around May, I can tell you how it wraps up.</p>Justin Passickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17507223613265525734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4140446227055533955.post-12557361183982832312021-03-16T05:07:00.004-07:002021-03-16T05:07:58.301-07:00The Mighty Kong (1998)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZPm4AMkJQjQ/YFCfE-6FesI/AAAAAAAADoM/2Dx1UyMcHLYQz3yjkMOmjs32iVvPnlMVACLcBGAsYHQ/s546/The%2BMighty%2BKong%2B%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="546" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZPm4AMkJQjQ/YFCfE-6FesI/AAAAAAAADoM/2Dx1UyMcHLYQz3yjkMOmjs32iVvPnlMVACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/The%2BMighty%2BKong%2B%25281%2529.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>Among the many appearances of King Kong the least known are easily
three straight-to-video animated projects. Two of those are related
to the animated televisions series which we’ll come back to at a
later time. Today I want to talk about the most infamous of that
trio, the animated musical remake The Mighty Kong. Yes indeed folks,
this is actually the second remake, making Peter Jackson’s the
third. That’s a lot of retread for something that was pretty much
perfect to begin with. While the 1976 version brought in a hefty dose
of 1970s cynicism and the 2005 Jackson take indulged like a fat kid
at Old Country Buffet, this late 1990s venture adapts the classic big
ape tale in the manner of a Disney knock-off.
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rERqS6B2m0I/YFCfZ8lYRGI/AAAAAAAADoc/WhTNHnOUb-UC0EpI_hb_R2y_piTSrVcEQCLcBGAsYHQ/s546/The%2BMighty%2BKong%2B%25282%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="546" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rERqS6B2m0I/YFCfZ8lYRGI/AAAAAAAADoc/WhTNHnOUb-UC0EpI_hb_R2y_piTSrVcEQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/The%2BMighty%2BKong%2B%25282%2529.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Watching Mighty
Kong one can’t help but ask why it was made in the first place.
Giving a classic film the Disney animated musical treatment isn’t
the worst idea but it seems wholly unnecessary when the original King
Kong is pretty family friendly to begin with. Plus it’s not like
it’s a movie known for boring kids, what kid doesn’t like giant
Claymation monsters beating the stuffing outta each-other? This one
actually has a slower pace than the original despite being notably
shorter in length. Add in the absolutely terrible production quality
and it’s hard to see how anyone thought this was a good idea. Some
folks claim this was put together as a quick cash-grab in order to
compete with the late nineties versions of Godzilla and Mighty Joe
Young, two other flicks that also blew chunks.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>As someone who once
made a couple cable access programs I can tell you that making
television or film isn’t necessarily difficult, making it halfway
decent is the tough part. Mighty Kong is a perfect example as it
feels like every element of it was a first attempt. First off the
animation is bad, we’re talking really bad. Like you can actually
see the individual frames. Art design is bland, scale is off. Voice
acting is sloppy, sometimes hard to discern, and on occasion I swear
the actors don’t even have a script to work with. Each thing just
has to do enough for this to function as something you can call a
movie. Even the songs seem like a rough draft jotted down on a napkin
rather than the real deal but we’ll come back to those.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XJePldZxF-o/YFCfN7RzHjI/AAAAAAAADoQ/bvtCnYMGp2czVPOhbVaqHm6smoGpU3_6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s546/The%2BMighty%2BKong%2B%25283%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="546" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XJePldZxF-o/YFCfN7RzHjI/AAAAAAAADoQ/bvtCnYMGp2czVPOhbVaqHm6smoGpU3_6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/The%2BMighty%2BKong%2B%25283%2529.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>As with any of the
other Kong remakes we gotta talk about how this iteration handles the
core trio. Let’s begin with the top-billed Dudley Moore as Carl
Denham. Moore’s take on the role is more of a silly blowhard than
the loudmouth pitch man of the original or the skeezy oil man of 76.
It’s the sort of role he could play in his sleep and just makes me
think he’d would have been better off in full Arthur mode. Jodi
Benson of Little Mermaid fame is the new Ann Darrow and yowza… this
Ann sucks. She’s just an empty-headed goody two-shoes lacking any
of the spunk of the original and even comes up short to Dwan in the
brains department. Then we’ve got Jack Driscoll who can now be
refered to as Blandy McBlanderton. Played by Randy Hamilton,
apparently his last role as well, in a manner that reminds me of Tony
Danza. His defining characteristics are beefiness and superstition
towards women. Who could they possibly add to this legendary line-up
of characters? How about Chips the monkey and Ricky the cabin boy.
Yea this is yet another story suffering the producers insistance that
kids need a kid character to identify with, cause ya know that’s
why kids love superheroes, mutated turtles, and power rangers, it’s
how easy they are to relate with.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>So what are the big
differences for this take on the story? Not many really. Most of the
broad stroke stuff is the same and many of the additions like Ricky &
Chips hardly matter. Of the two biggest alterations the first is the
songs, oh god the songs. For as slapdash a production as this thing
is Warner Bros managed to bring on the Sherman brothers who were
responsible for tons of classic Disney tunes to write the music for
this. Despite the big names these songs are absolute rubbish with the
only positive being that they’re also forgettable. Lyrics don’t
rhyme, tempos don’t flow, and the audio is shoddy as all hell. Plus
some of the lyrics stretch poetic license such as in the big love
song when Ann and Jack delcaire things like “I’ve never met this
man” even though they’ve known each-other for weeks. Weirder
still is how someone like Jodi Benson who did so well in her Mermaid
days is just screeching here. On the plus side the version I watched
had a number of sound errors that created moments of questionable
censorship.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> The final
augmentation is the ending. Seeing as this is a family picture you
wont get to see Kong shot to hell by the military. The police listen
to a suggestion from Denham that a giant net be suspended between two
blimps into to catch the great ape. Things don’t go so well and the
net rips spilling it’s living cargo down towards the street, with a
quick pit stop to crack his neck against an outcropping. Everyone
acts like maybe Kong can pull through with Denham declaring he’ll
get the beast it’s own private island, then they do the whole “twas
beauty what killed the beast” bit and Ann cries. Then Kong opens
his eyes to glare at Chips and everything’s happy? I mean he’s
horribly injured but still alive. Do they even make wheelchairs for
giant apes? And least ye think I’m spoiling anything, that shit’s
in the trailer.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a5jquhNjBhc/YFCfUoDvqvI/AAAAAAAADoY/u7nav8WpPR8hwlazQauqmWsA2NB-NzvuQCLcBGAsYHQ/s546/The%2BMighty%2BKong%2B%25285%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="546" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a5jquhNjBhc/YFCfUoDvqvI/AAAAAAAADoY/u7nav8WpPR8hwlazQauqmWsA2NB-NzvuQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/The%2BMighty%2BKong%2B%25285%2529.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> So… yeah… that
was The Mighty Kong. I’d hoped there would be more of note to write
about but honestly this ranks among the lousiest animated pictures
I’ve seen in quite some time. Let’s say you don’t wanna take my
word for it though. Well that’s where things get tricky. Much like
King Kong Lives this one has been buried with the old VHS tapes
fetching inflated prices on the secondhand market. It is a bit easier
to find through other avenues than Lives but it’s still another
piece of franchise history that’s been swept under the rug. Makes
me wonder if there’s someone out there who cherished this wreck as
a kid and now hordes as many tapes of it as they can. If you’re
that person drop me a line, I’ve missed psychological studies.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> That’s all for
tonight lads and ladies. With any luck we’ll get to talk about the
remaining forgotten Kong Movies before the big guy takes on Godzilla
again. Hopefully they’ll be far less painful than this one.</p>Justin Passickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17507223613265525734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4140446227055533955.post-24384287836350959642021-03-09T16:15:00.008-08:002021-03-09T16:15:42.256-08:00Snack Report: March 2021<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-87nk4PtylQE/YEgPKphXBsI/AAAAAAAADnw/xxdM4VGpfy0psNsvmVcAML-OFyKOs9p1QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Snack%2BReport%2BMarch%2B2021%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-87nk4PtylQE/YEgPKphXBsI/AAAAAAAADnw/xxdM4VGpfy0psNsvmVcAML-OFyKOs9p1QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Snack%2BReport%2BMarch%2B2021%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>March has arrived at last, the point in any year when things really
get moving. Last year it lead to us all huddling up indoors but this
time around we’re getting vaccines, Marvel television, and a new
Godzilla movie. Not trying to say new is better but right now I’d
say that’s the truth. Speaking of new I’m currently up to my ass
in junk food which, as we’ve likely discussed, is the best problem
to have. There’s a bit of everything in this one from bread and
snack cakes to candy and coffee. That same breadth of selection
applies to quality with some amazing edibles facing off with total
garbage. Enough dawdling, let’s get on with the goods.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Pepperidge Farm
Lemon Poppy Seed Bread</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>In all these years
of reviewing food I can’t say as I’ve ever covered bread. I
suppose that makes sense seeing as the bread aisle isn’t generally
known for innovation but just this once there was something unique to
be found among the endless tubes of white and rye, a lemon poppy seed
bread. Possessing a well-known weakness for lemon poppy anything I
immediately caved and added it to the cart.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>On both the smell
and flavor front this is more balanced than you’d imagine.
Pepperidge Farm took the core of lemon and poppy seed but didn’t
make it as sweet as usual. On the one hand this means anyone hoping
to indulge their sweat tooth is outta luck without some doctoring. I
found it most enjoyable untoasted with some peanut butter though I
suspect it probably pairs best with fruit butters like apple or
pumpkin. Still a fairly nifty treat deserving of maybe a three out of
five.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Coke with Coffee
Vanilla and Caramel</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>After my
disappointment with the dark blend coke with coffee I decided to give
the other varieties a chance in order to see if just one could match
my memories of the old Coke Blac. Both Vanilla and Caramel come much
closer to the drink I remember but still aren’t close enough to win
me over. I think if you went somewhere in-between these two with a
slightly different formula then you’d have something close to the
original but different enough to appeal to newcomers. That out of the
way how do these fair on their own?</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>I noted in our last
snack report that I’ve seen people complain that these drinks are
too sweet or over-caffinated. I don’t find these claims to be true
at all but there is something off about the overall formulation of
the drink. With both flavors I started off enjoying the burst of
sweat combined with the bitter edge of coffee. Around the halfway
point however each of em just got gross. It’s almost like it builds
up too quickly and you start to loose the nuance of soda and coffee
mixing together as the chemical elements take-over leaving you with
the sensation of bitter sludge.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Once again these
are so tough to review. They’re not bad yet they overstay their
welcome and pale in comparison to the original. If Coke really wants
to keep em around I’d suggest smaller cans for the dollar chains.
Not counting on that happening so I’ll give each a two out of five.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Klondike Shakes
Chocolate</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Taking a step away
from their usual ice-cream blocks, Klondike has put out a line of
shakes. The concept is pretty simply with pouches, not unlike the
ones used for applesauce, that just need a few minutes of thaw time
for you to enjoy. The instructions say the pouch only needs three
minutes out of the cold but my experience is more like five or six.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Once it’s ready
to drink these shakes are pretty decent. However; they come off more
like melting ice-cream in a pouch than they do a proper shake. I know
that’s a thin distinction but everyone knows the mouthfeel and
taste the makes a shake just a lil different than it’s bowl/cone
based brethren. This just feels like someone took some decent
chocolate ice cream and let it melt in in a sippy cup. Even the size
is questionable as it’s somehow just enough to edge off a craving
yet not enough to satisfy. Good but nothing revolutionary. Three out
of five.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Ritz Cheese
Crispers Cheddar</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>A couple snack
Reports ago I reported on another variation of these cheese crispers,
the tasty four cheese and herb. Coming back for another round I
bought a small bag of the cheddar variety and we can officially mark
this venture as a total knockout. These lil bastards are just plain
yummy.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>What is it that
sets these apart from countless other cheesy crackers? Ritz has
managed to find a nice middle-ground between high-end cheese crisps
and mass-produced crackers. You get the zingy sensation or real
cheese with a solid crunch at a good price. Gotta give these at least
a four out five if not higher though I am accounting for the fact
that I think some folks won’t be huge on the texture. Still a great
snack.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IAsZ0c5FjXg/YEgPVr1ChjI/AAAAAAAADn0/x0-h1xykfkgl_3p1DnzfbV7GbK8pgOHFgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Snack%2BReport%2BMarch%2B2021%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IAsZ0c5FjXg/YEgPVr1ChjI/AAAAAAAADn0/x0-h1xykfkgl_3p1DnzfbV7GbK8pgOHFgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Snack%2BReport%2BMarch%2B2021%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Peeps Fruit Loops
Pop</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>In truth this one’s
a leftover from last Easter though back in those early days of the
pandemic I never managed to find one to try. Stores have been doing
much better about getting in fresh stock and variety lately so that
former misses are now the current hits.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Opening the pop was
a surprisingly tough task thanks to those tape wraps generally used
on bakery products. Once I got it clear of the plastic prison I found
a pleasing clean scent, my nephew claimed it smelled like a factory.
That same clean aesthetic translated to the flavor too. Yes it tastes
like Fruit Loops only a bit cleaner and crisper, probably the closest
Peeps have ever come to tasting healthy. The only notable drawback I
have is that these are only available in pop form which means you’re
stock paying more for a smaller amount of candy on a stock than if
they’d been packaged the traditional way. Plus if you’re one of
those sad, joyless, types who don’t care for peeps then you’re
still gonna hate these. Taking everything into account I’d say they
earn a three and a half.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Frosted
Strawberry Donut Oreo</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Fresh on the heels
of four other new Oreo variants, though Lady Gaga was strictly
cosmetic, we have new frosted strawberry donut Oreo. These weren’t
my most anticipated flavor partially due to being fresh off of Paczki
season where I tend to gorge on baked goods. Even so, I’m not one
to turn down a novelty cookie.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Scent wise they
have something of a cotton candy tint to them with just enough
essence of baked good to stay in the donut ballpark. Flavor isn’t
all that far from the source inspiration either though it also has an
extra hint of, dare I say, carnival? As should be expected of a donut
flavor these babies shine their brightest when dipped in black
coffee.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>I did enjoy them
quite a bit though they’re far from a personal favorite. I suppose
it comes down to the fact that if I wanted a frosted yest raised
donut I’d simply go get one. For those of you who prefer cookies to
donuts or live in some savage place where donuts are a rarity these
are a fine treat to have around. Another thee and a half rating.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Mixed Berry
Twinkees</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Maybe it’s how
time seems meaningless during the pandemic but it feels like forever
since we last got a brand new Twinkee variety. With the onset of
spring it’s nice to see the physical personification of hope in
tube cake form via these Mixed Berry Twinkees. Now don’t be
confused by the claim that these are made with real fruit as there’s
still plenty of that fatty chemical goo taste to go around.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Not gonna mince
words here as I’m pretty much in love with these things. A major
part of the appeal is how the flavor reminds me of something from
childhood that I can’t quite put my finger on. Handing one to my
brother resulted in the same experience. There’s the distinct taste
of some old lost love from the snack-aisle. Another relative noted it
just tastes like nostalgia. I suppose that means Hostess of all
companies cracked the code of what longing for days gone buy tastes
like and it’s oddly fruity.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>All in all these
have been a big hit even winning over folks who don’t normally
indulge in Twinkees. That being said one person was still grossed out
by the chemical taste so if that’s your big issue with Hostess
stuff then these still may not win you over. Personally these are one
of my favorite new snacks of late and a perfect five outta five.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Yoplait Blue
Raspberry Gushers Yogurt</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Sometimes this
whole novelty food gig can go totally quagmire. Everything seems
alright at first. You spot a new yogurt flavor inspired by a classic
candy and it seems like a match made in heaven. Then things start to
take a turn down a dark road and you’re left staring at your spoon
asking, “why did I do this?” If you’re in need of such
introspection might I interest you in Yoplait Gushers Blue Raspberry
Yogurt?</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Let’s make one
thing clear, this item isn’t a total failure. The actual yogurt goo
isn’t too bad, tasting fairly close to a good ole Gusher. It’s
one additional component to this yogurt that makes it all go wrong. I
didn’t notice until bringing it home and snapping photos for the
blog is that this particular novelty yogurt has something called
“burstin beads.” makes sense I guess. Yoplait wanted to replicate
the actual gushing part of Gushers for this edition. Problem is the
beads are absolutely vile. The little beads are a sort of yellowish
tone that stands out in the blue goo, making them unappetizing just
on a visual level. The texture is the worst bit however with most of
the beads being strong enough to stand up to your tongue and cheeks
which forces you to bite into their weird flesh that floats around in
your moth afterword. It makes me think of what might happen if you
mixed salmon roe into your yogurt. Adding insult the beads don’t
seem to add much flavor as I ended up just dipping my spoon to
retrieve the blue yogurt and nothing else. Basically this is rubbish
and deserving of a one out of five.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Raisin Bran
Toasted Oats & Honey</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>Ranking among the
greatest mysteries of humankind is how regular Raisin Bran can be so
damn terrible while Raisin Bran Crunch is nearly good enough to
broker peace between nations. What then might the result be when
Kellogs tries to bridge the gap between these disgruntled relatives?
That’s a question we’re about to tackle with new Raisin Bran
Toasted Oats.</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span> </span>I suppose it’s
only fitting that this middle of the road approach to Raisin Bran
ends up with middle of the road quality. It’s much better than the
regular stuff but nowhere near as good as Crunch. If you’re
hesitant to eat Crunch due the higher sugar content than this might
make for a good alternative. Otherwise it’s just alright, just
north of normal. I’ll grant it a three outta five.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--dDLUg3ETEc/YEgPjfkVKVI/AAAAAAAADn8/ynAn2EGVBGwAQ-_5RCDluSMtqc7uB884wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Snack%2BReport%2BMarch%2B2021%2B%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--dDLUg3ETEc/YEgPjfkVKVI/AAAAAAAADn8/ynAn2EGVBGwAQ-_5RCDluSMtqc7uB884wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Snack%2BReport%2BMarch%2B2021%2B%25284%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Perrier Pineapple
and Watermelon</b></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b> </b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>I’m
not one to generally indulge in flavored water. Frankly I don’t
really see the point as a decent <span> </span>spritzer is so easily made with just
a bit of sparkling mineral water and fruit juice. On the off chance
that I’m out & about and crazy thirsty I will bend the rules.
Just this once I’m a little glad I did. For those who can’t abide
their water plain these offerings from Perrier may just be the best
flavored water I’ve encountered. Yeah… that’s it… haven’t
figured out how to make water funny.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>And
I think that’s everything. At least I hope that’s everything.
After sometimes struggling to find new goodies last year this return
to the days of properly stocked grocery aisles is a bit overwhelming
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">in the best way possible.
All this snack talk has made me hungry </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">and
it just so happens to be dinner time. Hope you’re all having
excellent luck in your own snack hunts.</span></p>Justin Passickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17507223613265525734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4140446227055533955.post-36816557381731721492021-02-28T23:54:00.002-08:002021-02-28T23:54:16.489-08:00Green Arrow Longbow Hunters Omnibus Review<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mT3Dq3Gd8NE/YDydWcqPxII/AAAAAAAADnY/GuJ21cVgOb8fzZ3qjDlJ9qLFB5Q6U48oQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Green%2BArrow%2BLongbow%2BHunters%2BOmnibus%2BReview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mT3Dq3Gd8NE/YDydWcqPxII/AAAAAAAADnY/GuJ21cVgOb8fzZ3qjDlJ9qLFB5Q6U48oQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Green%2BArrow%2BLongbow%2BHunters%2BOmnibus%2BReview.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't mind the oddly placed copy of Child's Play. It Was a busy day.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span> </span>Once again I find myself nearing the end of a month with one post to
go and little forethought about a topic. Hell, this one might not
even be finished in time. Seeing as we are making our way into March,
a month themed around green including the beginning of spring and
hopeful outdoor adventures how’s about we talk some Green Arrow?
Yes, I’m stretching for relevancy, bare with me.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>It’s
probably obvious from this blogs history that I’m more of a Marvel
guy. That’s the superhero universe where I prefer to spend the
majority of time with most of my favorite characters</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
writers,</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> and titles yet I’d
often like to dabble more in the DC front. Sadly I can place the
blame squarely on them for keeping me away since they seemingly have
a mission to never reprint th</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">eir
massive backlog of quality comics</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
Warlord? Maybe 20 issues in an out-out-print paperback. The DeMat</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">t</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">eis
runs of Dr. Fate and The Spectre? Not a chance. Arak: Son of Thunder?
The same. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">To top it off the
company has a tendency to botch reprints with missing issues,
printing errors, or just canceling after a volume or two. So on the
rare occasion that DC puts out something truly interesting, and
manages to not screw it up, I do my damnedest to dive on in. This was
the case with the first (and I swear to </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">holy
hell</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> there better be a vol
2) omnibus for Mike Grell’s Green Arrow.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>I’d
heard a lot about Grell’s </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">work</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
over the years which came about during the late 1980s wave of gritty
comics. Some folks praise it with flowery language that generally
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">adds</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
up to nothing of meaning. Others </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">compare</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
his work to Frank Miller which I can tell you is </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">wholly</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">in</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">accurate
as I didn’t regret my own literacy after reading Grell’s prose.
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">There are other</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">s</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
who </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">treat</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
this era as if violent crime minded comics </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">as</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
something to be </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">embarrassed</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
of. The truth is obviously far more complex than any of those short
pitches with the actual product being a fascinating read complete
with a few odd wrinkles.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>What
makes this era of Green Arrow stand out is the </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">nearly
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">complete and total removal
of fantasy/sci-fi comic tropes, a concept that seems downright mad
for a character known for palling around with a space cop. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Oliver
Queen, who never actually uses his hero moniker within these pages,
moves to Seattle and takes on the likes of Drug Dealers, sex
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">traffickers</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
the yakuza, street gangs, and serial killers. Later on he spends some
time abroad taking on the likes of the IRA and African poachers. Real
crime was the order of the day </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">complete
with plenty of sex and violence. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Even
on the occasions when another superhero pops in they leave the
magical stuff behind. For instance when Hal Jordan pops by to help
Oliver through a bad patch he’s just a guy named Hal with a love
for the color green.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Still’ I suppose in this
time of trigger warnings and the like it should be noted that this
can be a very grim and gruesome book. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">There’s
gang violence, child killers, graphic animal deaths, torture, even a
damn crucifixion.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Plus</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
the title earned </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">something
of a reputation for violence against women. If we’re being honest
though I’ve seen far more farcical books treat women with far less
respect and these ladies at least manage to bring down scores of
villains. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">That sort of
complete and messy view permanents many of the stories</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
with pure 1980s morality. Consider for instance how a storytelling
about Oliver protecting the gay community from gang violence also has
him toss out a quick gay joke. It was a time when stories centered on
the notion that doing good didn’t always mean you did good things
or thought happy thoughts.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>We’ve
established then that this point in Green Arrow history was very
violent and grim but is it any good? More so is it good enough to
dedicated a fairly beefy asking price towards? Mostly yes. This
volume contains the three-issue Longbow Hunters mini-series followed
by the first fifty issues of the character’s proper ongoing series.
Of that I’d say somewhere between around eighty percent is solid
and entertaining stuff. The rest can suffer from one of two issues.
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Some stories, much like this
article, feel like something that came about because the writer
simply couldn’t come up with anything else for the month. Others,
like the aforementioned poacher story, fall into the problem of
reading like an impassioned editorial rather than a proper narrative.
On those occasions characters end up communicating with soundbites
and factoids that are way too on the nose. When things are running
smoothly however this is a fun action story with strong characters
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">and some fabulously colorful
artwork.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Another
element that helps the book is how some of the weaker aspects play
out in such a way that is either entertaining or at least consistent
with the tone of the book. There’s the cliché of magical natives,
both American and African, which always makes for a good eye-roll but
doesn’t feel all that weird since Oliver is an
environmentally-minded yuppie. The over-the-top criminals sometimes
push the believablity of these more realistic stories but that just
makes it more fun when they inevitably take an arrow to the neck. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">One
of my favorite bits is Oliver’s tendency to kick his TV when
overwhelmed with righteous indignation. Guy must be real popular at
Radio Shack.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>As
for the work on this omnibus I was fairly impressed. The paper stock
isn’t up to the level of my dear Marvel books but it’s still
decent and makes for a hefty eight-pound tome. In a surprisingly rare
bit of forethought DC actually included page numbers so the contents
guide remains useful. There’s the occasional odd hiccup like the
cover of one issue missing it’s number or things like that but when
the important stuff like binding and colors are all done right it’s
tough to complain.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span>Currently
there’s been no word on a follow-up Omni despite plenty of content
to cover. There’s at least thirty more main title issues and three
mini-series from Grell, </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">some
of which has never been printed in collected format. If DC wants more
of us Marvel types reaching across the aisle they’d do well to
print up more items like this rather than reprinting the same damn
Batman books. Whelp; looks like the clock is running out on February
so I’d best get this posted. Hope it’s been of some value to
somebody out there. I’ll be back soon enough with something a bit
meatier.</span></p>Justin Passickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17507223613265525734noreply@blogger.com0Riverside County, CA, USA33.9532966 -117.396119220.212991513189976 -134.9742442 47.693601686810027 -99.8179942