Just Thinking About (The) Internet

One more thought about the Internet. THE Internet. Why are people calling it "the Internet"? Doesn't that suggest there are other Internets? Maybe that's what got Dubya confused when he mentioned the Internets!

Why not just refer to it as Internet? That's what they do in Holland and Belgium, BTW. Don't ask me how I know! I could tell you, but then I'd have to blame ya!

Internet Shocker!

Research by British scientists has revealed that the Internet is indeed a truck after all!

According to Intelligence reports the Internet can often be encountered when cruising the highways of Transsylvania!

Here's a photo of the Internet sitting between unsuspecting regular trucks.

Dominion Tank Police

In the early nineties, inspired by the success of Katsuhiro Otomo's mindblowing Akira, a wave of anime releases started being released in the West. One of the companies involved was Manga Video, nowadays known as Manga Entertainment.

In around 1993 they realeased a line of anime titles including Akira, Fist of The North Star, Project A-Ko and a hilarious OVA ("Original Video Animation") called Dominion Tank Police, based on a manga by Masamune Shirow, of Ghost In The Shell fame.

Dominion Tank Police was a funny series about a police force that used tanks as patrol vehicles, usually causing more damage than any bad guys could ever hope to. What's more, the English adaptation had a great cast of voice actors that made the series even more fun.

In the clip you see the adrenaline-pumping intro Manga Video animation, followed by the English intro for Dominion.

Even more Goldorak stuff

For the 2 people reading this blog - possibly counting me & myself - it should be clear by now that I'm into anime. A LOT!

Here's the French intro of UFO Robot Grendizer AKA Goldorak.

For an alternative intro check here! Or here for a more recent version. (I know, confusing, huh?)

Blame This gets gaming counterpart

I just started up another blog, dedicated to games, gaming, gamers, the mating rituals of mutant cucumbers, etc.

So if you're into computer and video games, be sure to check there every now and then! Comments and suggestions are welcome!

Highlander The Anime

Did you know there's an anime Highlander movie out?

It's called "Highlander: The Search For Vengeance" and was made by Yoshiaki Kawajiri, whose team has been involved in tons of stuff including Cyber City Oedo 808, Ninja Scroll, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, and the Animatrix segment called Program.

If you like anime and Highlander this just might be worth checking out.

For more information check this Wikipedia entry. There's also an official site with a trailer. Check Sci Fi Weekly for a review.

Let's dance safely!

Here's an (in my view, anyway) oddity from the 80's. I don't know very much about the group "Men Without Hats", or the meaning behind this song, or the clip, but I've always found it intriguing.

I'm not sure what though. I always found the singer interesting; he looks permanently pissed off about things, which is a trait I can surely admire, since I am myself permanently pissed off about certain things! But I digress...

There's an interesting anachronistic contrast in the very 80's synth music versus the medieval surroundings we see in the clip. Remember that movie "A Knight's Tale"? This clip, and the song, would have fitted in perfectly!

Humongous Game Demos

Today I downloaded a demo of the PC game "John Woo Presents: Stranglehold".

It was a whopping 1.96 GB!

I guess that, as games and software in general are getting more sophisticated and take up more space, it is only to be expected, but this is getting ridiculous. Especially when you consider that some of us do still do not have unlimited download capacity...

WW II bomb disabled in Belgium

Isn't it "funny" how the Second World War keeps affecting the lives of people even now?

Recently, in the Belgian town of Evergem, a bomb weighing well over 900 kilograms, dropped by the Americans sometime in 1944 to take out a German fuel depot (or so I heard) was found during renovation work at Total Company.

Lots of people from the neighbourhood were evacuated while the bomb was being defused.

If you can read Dutch, the following link may actually be helpful:
http://www.vrtnieuws.net/cm/vrtnieuws.net/nieuws/regionaal/Oost-Vlaanderen/070930_Ertvelde

Valkyries with attitude

"I've got your close-up right here!"

(Picture taken from Macrossworld.)

One Winged Angel - Live

The Final Fantasy games are known for their high production standards; not only in terms of game play, but also in terms of good stories, interesting characters, inspiring graphics, and great music.

The track "One Winged Angel" by regular FF composer Nobuo Uematsu from the climactic battle against Sephiroth in FF VII is very wellknown and popular among fans, for, I think, obvious reasons.

Because, you see, it's FRIKKIN' AWESOME!!

Here's a live performance of this piece:

Game Retrospectives at Gametrailers.com

The computer and video games website Gametrailers.com has been making an excellent series of retrospectives of wellknown game series, among which the Metroid series of games and the venerable "Final Fantasy" series, among others.

The retrospectives cover the entire history of these games, sometimes literally covering decades of gaming history in the process. The Final Fantasy series in particular has a whopping 10 episodes to watch!

Check it out at http://www.gametrailers.com/retrospective.php

Macross Intro

Here is the original Japanese intro to the Macross series.

Anime Goodies

I've always loved giant robots, from back in the age of Mazinger and Grendizer to the more "realistic" mecha anime, such as Gundam and Macross.














Check this one: http://www.yamato-toys.com/items/detail.php?gid=114

For those familiar with the series Super Dimension Fortress Macross, this particular vehicle looks vaguely like an F14 Tomcat but is something even cooler, namely: the VF-1A Valkyrie, a vehicle that can transform! Robotech fans will probably know it best as the Veritech Fighter.

It has 3 modes: fighter plane mode, "Battroid" robot mode and an intermediate "Gerwalk" mode where it basically looks like a fighter plane with arms & legs.

This particular model is the Valkyrie model flown by Hikaru Ichijo in the Macross feature-length animated movie Macross: Do You Remember Love?

Check this entry at Macross World for a video guide on transforming the toy, and here for some more pics. Oh, and here is a review.

Blade Runner is back!

Not that it was ever gone or anything, but I needed a catchy title. Blame me!

Expect the Blade Runner "Final Cut" out in December, in several different sets, the highlight being a briefcase - modeled after one Harrison Ford's character Deckard uses in the movie - containing no less than 5 discs, containing the new Cut and all the previous ones including the legendary "Workprint" version.

On top of that, there will be a documentary, several featurettes, and a special appearance by Bingo The Clown and his Exploding Gerbils!

OK, I made up one of the above. Guess which one! Win exciting prizes! (Yeah, RIGHT!)

Anyway, for those familiar with one of the top websites covering all things Blade Runner, I'm happy to announce that BRMOVIE.com has resumed activity and is constanly being updated by a team of corporate vat-grown cyber-enhanced ninjas as you read this!

Check this page in particular if you want to find out more about the new Final Cut edition:
http://www.brmovie.com/BR_Special_Edition.htm

Cyberpunk Review

Some time ago, I came across a site called CyberpunkReview.com.

As the name suggests, the site posts reviews of everything and anything remotely cyberpunk. Books, games, TV series, movies, you name it. People are also allowed to post comments.

http://www.cyberpunkreview.com/

More about Goldorak / Grendizer

I just wanted to mention a great website about all things Grendizer.

http://www.grendizer.net/

It's an Arabic site - as I mentioned in a previous blog Grendizer was big in many regions, including the Middle East - but fear not! It does have English text so reading it shouldn't be a problem. Which is great because this happens to be one of the best sites about Grendizer I know about. There's lots of stuff there, including the complete soundtrack.

Highly recommended!

George Lucas In Love

This one has been out for a while, but I wanted to mention it anyway. Inspired by the romantic comedy "Shakespeare In Love", this is a fictional dramatization of George Lucas' days as a struggling college student, and about the things that would inspire him to later make Star Wars... and this movie about a talking alien duck.

Running at about 8 minutes, this parody is great fun, chock full of inside jokes and references. Check it out!

Oh... And make sure you keep watching while the end credits roll... There's a bonus scene.

Things to dislike in computer and video games

I haven't actually blamed stuff in a while.

How about this one? FPS and/or action games featuring jumping puzzles!

I hate jumping puzzles. You know the sort. You have this action game, maybe a first person shooter, and since somehow fighting for your life and defeating your enemies isn't enough, you suddenly are tested at how good your reflexes are, when you have to make your way across some obstacle or series of obstacles, jump over bottomless pits, or whatever. And if you miss, it's reloading time.

What great fun!

No?

No, I didn't think so either.

This kind of game challenge originated in so-called platform games such as the Mario Bros. games and others such as Sonic The Hedgehog and its sequels and spinoffs. And in my opinion, that is where they should stay. Those games are all about that sort of challenge - reflexes, timing, that sort of thing. I'm not interested in that type of game, so it really is annoying if I have to deal with it in an FPS, or adventure, or whatever.

I think it's poor game design, or a misguided attempt to cater to all tastes.

Blade Runner: The Final Cut

Fans of science fiction and Really Good Movies, rejoice! Ridley Scott's masterpiece "Blade Runner" is about to be unleashed upon us in its "Final cut"!

Check out Warner Brother's official BR site at:

http://bladerunnerthemovie.warnerbros.com/

(You need Flash Player installed to view this or else you are, basically, seriously screwed.)