I only watched the second one once as a rental. Can't say that I remember too much about it, though I didn't dislike it. I just thought the first was better - or maybe just had better atmosphere. I'm eagerly awaiting Silent Hills, the new game. A Hideo Kojima and Guillermo Del Toro team-up? Count me in.

Good call on Arkham Asylum. I've actually had the itch to play it again for these last couple of days. Maybe I'll finally pop it in for a third playthrough. I've been dying to get back into the Arkham City challenge mode, too. That's some addictive fun, and I nearly have all of the achievements.

Bioshock is a game that I hated. Crazy, I know. I was just ready for it to be over with at the halfway point, and when the "big twist" happened I was so disappointed that it wasn't the end of the game.

Watched? As a rental? I'm talking about Silent Hill 2, the horror game from 2001, not the second movie. Though both Silent Hill films were actually nice considering how bad every other video game based movie is, Silent Hill 2 is often considered the greatest horror game and packs a story that has yet to be matched by any other horror game. Everybody has their own opinions I guess. I love Bioshock and regard it as one of my favorite games of all time, if not my absolute favorite. Its meet of survival horror and science fiction combined with rpg-esque fps gameplay really set it apart to me. The story is also great (especially compared to the regular Call of Duty type fps games which flood the market), though I will agree that it climaxed at the twist and the second half of the game was less gripping than the first.

The first Silent Hill movie is excellent. It takes the great plot of the first one, mixes in elements from the games like camera angles and puzzle elements, has the music from the games, and adds a few of its own ideas. The movie is so much like the games that even the ending makes absolutely no sense, just like the ending to the games. THe Silent Hill movie is to the games what Batman Begins is to comic books.

The second movie, on the other hand, is a piece of ****.

As for Silent Hill 2 (game), it is a great game, but 3 is superior to it.

Ah, that's what I get for skimming the beginning of your post. When it comes to games, I do prefer SH 2 over the first. It's the other way around with the movies for me. I never played much of SH 3 despite owning it for several years now. I don't know what it is with that one. Homecoming was somewhat enjoyable as the series equivalent of Resident Evil 4 but ranks pretty low overall. Downpour was good, though it was the story that really saved it for me. The generic zombie enemies were irritating.

I really enjoyed the first segment of Bioshock where the Spider Slicers showed up. That was unsettling as hell, hearing that scraping and then they just drop down next to you. Other than that, it just never connected with me. I think it was the lack of consequence for death that put a sour taste in my mouth first. There were plenty of good ideas present, but... ehh. I understand that I'm in a minority, though.

Some movie figs...




The Crow has an error packing (Hellraiser on bottom).

I guess it's "excellent" for a video game movie. The end is actually what I disliked about the first movie. It's not that it doesn't make sense, it's that it's the equivalent to the various bad endings throughout the series, like "in water" from Silent Hill 2. Also the way the movie changed it from "evil cult member mother who sacrifices her daughter to bring back their old god" into "poor girl who gets accused of witchcraft and is taken from her mother to be killed" seemed weird. I wouldn't say the 2nd film is totally shit, but it was to me more of like "here's a crap ton of references to the games in a hour and a half package" than it was an actual movie, so I liked it, but I understand why it's not overall well on the reception.
Game-wise: Silent Hill 3 was scarier than Silent Hill 2, but Silent Hill 2's story was more impacting and mind-f***y. It's a case of SH3 being more physical and present scary while SH2 is psychological and moodier. Regardless both are easily the best entries into the series and a must play for any horror game fan.

I haven't played too many survival horror games as of late, but here are some I did enjoy, again, in no specific order.

1. Condemned (XB360): The level in the department store was simply unsettling for me the first go around. Play this one in the dark, with a set of headphones and I guarantee you will jump.

2. Manhunt (Xbox): This one used to make me feel emotionally and mentally drained after an hour or so. It's not a terrible game at all, in fact...it's really good. In fact, one of the better games that Rockstar has ever put out. The manner in which you are constantly stalking and viciously dispatching your prey really wears on you after a bit, and you will sometimes find yourself looking at the screen like "I can't believe I just did that..."

3. Resident Evil (PS1): The dog scene in the beginning, the first time you meet the hunters, and your encounter with Neptune really sticks in my head. I remember yelling at the TV in terror.

4. Friday the 13th (NES): Yep...I'm serious. This is one of my favorite survival horror games of all time. Harder than hell, and not a whole lot to it, but trying to kill Jason is nerve-wracking when he randomly shows up, and especially when you are exploring dark cabins to light fireplaces, or searching for his cabin in the woods. It makes for a cheap boo moment that'll make you jump in place or yell at your TV. The constant sound of your fellow counselors and children being attacked as you try to find better tools to battle Jason with is places a constant stress on you, forcing you to decide to whether to spare the victim, or sacrifice them to better your character. And like most other games in the early NES era, the ending to this one will piss you off after your hard work, but will give you an intense amount of satisfaction. I have this and still play this one on my phone.

Also...DOGE controlling all the switches that make the town run. Best Silent Hill ending ever...

Its name is Mira, at least according to the game makers that's her name. Also memes didn't exist yet so the comparison should go the other way around. I kind of like the Shattered Memories joke ending better for incorporating almost every other joke ending, especially the "my mom was a bitch" line, but it comes from a dog so it's all good.
I want Alien: Isolation to be the next good horror game, but so far it's receiving mixed reviews. At least no matter how good/bad the game is, Alien will still be my favorite horror movie.

On topic of horror movies, I think it's safe to say that NECA dominates making figures for these characters. It used to be McFarlane toys so many odd years ago, but when they dropped the hat NECA picked it up with flare. Really hyped for the upcoming 30th anniversary ultimate Freddy Krueger figure. NECA has also hinted via Twitter that there are more ultimate horror icon figures to come.

I actually revisted Halloween III recently to see if there was something I was missing...NOPE its a pile of crap and oddly mean spirited. I think 1,4 and 6 are the only Halloween movies I give repeat viewings.

Just for the record, I thought the Rob Zombie Halloween movies were worth a watch as a kind of "Alternate Universe / What Ifs?" but in truth they dont feel like true Michael Myers films to me.

I love Asian Horror so here's my Top Ten Asian Horror

1) Shutter (Thai)
2) The Eye (Japan)
3) Audition (Japan)
4) Ju-On (Japan)
5) Ringu (Japan)
6) A Tale Of Two Sister (Korea)
7) One Missed Call (Japan)
8) Ghost Of Mae Nak (Thai)
9) Coming Soon (Thai)
10) Pee Mak (Thai)


Most of these have seen a Western remake but most or all are crappy, so enjoy these origanl instead.

I have a hard time sitting through Asian horror movies. I enjoyed Ju-On and One Missed Call, but most of them seem to be long, boring, and if you have seen one creepy ghost girl, you have seen them all.

I prefer how in the original you never here Michael grunt or get "mad" as apposed to Zombies take where he's screaming and grunting under the mask (especially in part 2) it's spookier to me that there is a guy coming at you that can lift a man with one hand, traverse six city blocks in a minute with bullet holes in him, and hunt you down, without breaking a sweat or physically excreting himself. I don't understand why so many people like the first Halloween, but don't even mention part 2! it's the same night! I'm not even satisfied unless I watch those two back to back! part 6 is great, but the whole "thorn" thing escaped me (and evidently every subsequent Halloween director).

Raf! Is that a Benicio Del Toro Wolf man!?! that is freeking awesome! are there any other figures in that line? and I'm glad you don't have that awful TRU exclusive electric gremlin.(it was flat clear plastic, but sold as a figure.

Lol, yeah I've seen that gremlin you're talking about. Yes, that is Benicio Del Toro but I don't know if there are others in that line.

I wish someone would make a well articulated well sculpted Horror series. something compatible with Marvel Universe in scale and quality. (I'm looking at you NECA...)

There have been some really good ones to come out recently from Neca. The Jason figures from Neca for "The Final Chapter" were nearly perfect in terms of sculpt and poseability (unless you want Jason throwing out super kicks) and the Ultimate Freddy will be doing the same in the very near future. Revoltech also has an amazing Jason figure as well if you are into figures of a 5 inch scale. He works perfect with the Walking Dead line, and can even fit in with 3.75" figures due to his large stature and frame in the movies.

Halloween 6 - Theatrical version - I kind of regret watching this version after doing the Producer's Cut as this is just so inferior. The lighting looks bad in some of the new scenes (especially when Jaime is in the barn), they completely dropped the Cult of Thorn plot halfway through the movie, Dr Wynn does not die on screen, the music sometimes sounds like it belongs in an extreme sports video, but worst of all, they cut out nearly every piece of character development for Loomis. Loomis is one of the main staples of this franchise and to cut him out so we can have more of a focus on the poorly acted Tommy and Kara is just ridiculous. Plus, things do not make sense. Why does Loomis no longer have a scar? Why is he in the hospital when Tommy is there? Why was the old lady holding a knife to the baby? Why did Michael just leave his mask on the floor? What was with the screaming sounds of Loomis at the end? None of if makes sense. I give this version of the movie a 3/10 stars.

Also, I got some orange cases today to use with the Halloween box set that came out last month. I took advantage of having a second set (that I need to ship back to Amazon, but I wanted to do this first) and took comparison shots between the black and orange cases. Honestly, they both looks utterly fantastic. The black blends in so well with the poster art, but at the same time, the orange really pops the covers out. Plus, it fits with the theme. Ultimately, I plan to go with the orange cases since they are not eco-friendly, but it will depend on how well those adhesive hubs hold up. Nevertheless, enjoy the pics:

Nice, I just got that set too. Why did you buy two?

NECA has never expressed any interest in 3.75" figures, though if they did the figures would look a hell of a lot better than MU but cut back on pose severely in comparison.
Most horror characters don't need/use that much pose which is why I frickin' love NECA's figures. Those that do need more pose like the Alien, get more than they need from NECA. A 5" Jason would look pretty weird with MU though. Jason is usually played by people around 6'4" or 6'5" so having him be like an inch and a half taller than Captain America would scale him to be like 9' tall. Honestly that's not out of the question for how superhuman they've made him throughout the franchise, but it'd be pushing it fairly hard.

Edit: did some research and found that Mezco had at some point made 3.75" horror figures under a "cinema of fear" line. Not the best looking toys nor very good pose, but they're alright all things considered and seem to be the only option in the scale. Eh.

Their 3.75" Gears of War action figures were extremely well done. They only had two issues in my opinion: lack of bicep swivels to properly hold the guns, and they seemed to have trouble getting the eyes to look normal. Horror movie icon toys in the same scale done by NECA would be phenomenal, it's just a shame the GoW line didn't seem to perform well enough for them.

I meant that NECA hasn't done/stated that they will do horror in that scale. That GoW 3.75" line under-performed compared to the regular NECA scale GoW line which I imagine factored into their decision not to do horror figures in the scale. They could one day, I don't think they've 100% shot the idea down, but as of now there is no stated interest.

I made my previous post while I wasn't at home, so when I got home, I pulled out my Revoltech Jason just to make sure. You were right, he is a bit big for Marvel Universe, but as I mentioned...He does fit in perfectly with the Walking Dead line.

Maggie knew Glenn wouldn't approve her going alone, but the abandoned camp site seemed a good spot to scavenge for food and supplies. Her senses honed to hear the sound of shuffling walkers, she was startled when the creaking wood beneath her gave alert to what she believed was a VERY large walker standing just behind her.


Maggie spun around quickly...drawing aim on the large being, who stood there menacingly with a wood axe in hand. He tilted his head curiously at her as she spoke to him, telling him that she wouldn't hurt him...asking him put down the axe. With another tilt of his head and a deep breath, he responded....


...bolting across the cabin floor, quickly covering the space between them. Stunned by his fearlessness, Maggie took aim, looking for the head shot, but the "man behind the mask," (heh) gripping the weapon tightly, raised the axe to attack undaunted. Letting out a loud scream, Maggie squeezed the trigger, and in her panic, the bullet sailed harmlessly past her attacker, as he took one final step, and with a vicious and powerful swing...


...Silence. A loud splash of blood splattered on the wall, as well as the thud of Maggie's head as it slammed into the wall hard, ricocheting off of it and landing at the killer's feet. Her body stumbled momentarily, before finally collapsing to the floor in a crumpled heap. Maggie's killer took another deep breath as he stood in place, before finally reaching down, picking up her cleanly decapitated head from the ground. He stood beside her now twitching and spasming body, staring at the corpse on the floor, one part in curiosity, one part almost in admiration, as he re-gripped the axe and head in his hand. "KILL THEM MOMMY...", He thought to himself, as he turned toward the cabin door, prize in hand, closing it quietly behind him as he lurched back out into the fog of the thick surrounding woods...


On another note...I remember those Mezco 3.75" figures, but I was only ever able to find Leatherface in stores, while the Freddy and Jason figures always seemed to drive a ridiculous price online. But they were decent enough. One day I'll probably just end up biting the bullet and picking up Jason, unless Neca has a change of heart towards smaller scale figures.

Also...no Maggies were hurt during the making of this post...

^ Nice, the walking dead marathon just started on AMC by the way...

I didn't. The fourth movie's audio is out of sync so I requested a new copy from Amazon before learning that it is like that across the board.

Since a replacement was already shipped and I have to ship an opened one back, I might as well see just in case if 4 is like it. It is. :-(

I figured though, since I had orange cases on the way I might as well wait to ship it back until after I had my fun.

And sadly, it was a failure. The adhesive disc holder hubs do NOT work. THey stick on the case just fine, but the discs will NOT stay attached to them. As such< I would rather have the black eco cases as at least my discs don't pop out of place every time the case shakes or is opened.

Anyway,

Halloween H20 - After going into the realm of total ridiculousness, the series finally gets back on track by completely removing the last three movies from continuity. This is not only the smartest thing ever, but it also helps bring a new sense of smell to the franchise. Getting to see Laurie on screen again and learning what her life was like over the last twenty years is far more interesting than her dying off screen in a car accident. The movie itself is nicely done with some great moments of suspense, it keeps the death count down to a minimum, and harkens back to the night Michael originally attacked Laurie. The music is moody, but the movie's biggest faults are the lack of character development for anyone outside of Laurie and Michael's constant altering masks. Nevertheless, it is far better than the last several sequels and has a truly kick ass, conclusive ending. How do you come back from that? :-D I give this movie a 6.5/10 stars. It isn't as good as II or III, but it is better than the entire Cult of Thorn trilogy. It is just a shame that Pleasance passed on otherwise he would have been truly phenomenal in this one.

HOLY SHIT!!! Another one?! I watch the show and I like it fairly well, I read the comics back when they started but I dropped out not long after the governor story before the show even started. I also frikkin' loved the TellTale Games Walking Dead season 1 and I'll probably get season 2 when it releases on disc. The show however, I like it, I watch it when it's new, but hot damn I am tired of these constant marathons. It's like once a month now they start one. These episodes get really boring really fast when you know that nothing happens until the end of the season, but then they play them all again for the next holiday, or season beginning, or mid-season finale, or mid-season return, or last episode of a season. Too much. Like I said, fan of the show, not necessarily in my top 5, but a fan still. However I could do with less Walking Dead marathons, Shawshank Redemption, and Green Mile from AMC, they play those way too often.

I guess I am the only one that does not like TWD. It's not that it is a bad show, but the first season was boring and they fired Darabont from the show, so I never bothered watching it again without him there. And now that they have completely deviated from the comics, I see no reason to go back.