Getting Under the Radar with Maze Runner, a Movie Review

TheMazeRunner1Ever since the success of a series of young adult novels to cinema, namely Harry Potter, Hollywood studios are clamouring to find the next big thing. Maze Runner shows what the rat race is going to be like after the end of past sagas like Twilight and series tossed into limbo like The Chronicles of Narnia. These days, Hunger Games is close to wrapping up and newer products like Divergent, Percy Jackson and Ender’s Game are questionable if another film will get made. Only half stands a chance of seeing its cinema journey come to an end.

Fans of Maze Runner will no doubt want to see how James Dashner’s book trilogy will translate to screen. Not everyone will have read the Maze Runner series so the big question is if prior knowledge is going to be needed in order to appreciate this translation. Fortunately, not much.

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Legend of Korra: Book 4 Trailer Revealed!

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

Legend of Korra

Avatar: The Legend of Korra will be seen on Nick.com beginning October 3, and the trailer indicates series creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko are not holding back in deciding the fate of the world. That’s going to be a week away and to see what will happen next looks like this final chapter picks up days after the events from the last season. With the Air Nation swiftly back in full swing, they have a lot more to deal with as the world gets ready for another war. This time, the Earth Nation is the antagonist.

The future is looking grim as Korra embarks on a new quest. She may well be looking to mend the lacerations that has severed her from accessing her past, to speak with the avatars from long ago. The symbolic cutting of her hair indicates that. And in who she finds in her travels certainly makes this coming season perhaps just as equally exciting. Lord Zuko is back and so is another character from this series’ past as the last moments of this trailer indicates:

GottaCon 2015 Update

Gottacon2015GottaCon announced the official hotels for their 2015 convention. Both Quality Inn Downtown Victoria and The Fairmont Empress are returning as official hotel sponsors for Vancouver Island’s largest gaming convention that’ll take place from Feb 27th to March 1st, 2015 at the Victoria Conference Center.

Convention-goers should book early to avoid disappointment.

For more information on what amenities are offered for each hotel, click here.

In addition, the Community Applications are now open for all gaming groups and clubs. To apply for a booth at GottaCon, click here.

There’s Thunder in the air … and it’s in the House of Magic, a Blu-ray Review

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By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

A rumbling can be heard in Boston, Massachusetts where nearly every neighborhood has that spooky estate that nobody wants to visit. When a brave kitty needs to find hope, that abode may well be his only chance at achieving a new life after being abandoned. Aptly named Thunder and The House of Magic, this film shows how this cat finds the love he so deserves. Shout! Factory’s early Halloween treat will arrive on Oct 5th for fans of animation and the supernatural to enjoy.

And watching this film is like observing an episode of Casper the Friendly Ghost. Thunder (voiced by Murray Blue in the English dub) has all the spunk, charm and innocence of everyone’s favourite spirit. All he needs is to make some new friends. But when the world seems to be against him, all he can do is find a life away from the limelight.

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Tick, Tock; Jack and the Cuckoo Clock Heart, A DVD Review

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

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Original Movie Poster

Jack and the Cuckoo Clock Heart (Jack et la mécanique du cœur) is finally getting a limited American theatrical presentation come September 24th, with a DVDJack and the Cukoo Clock Heart and Blu-ray release from Shout! Factory quickly following. Fans of French CGI/animated cinema can finally see what’s next after such hits like A Monster In Paris (2011) and The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec (2010)Jack and the Cukoo Clock Heart.

With this tale, the emphasis is with a musical drama that’s stylized in the same vein as Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge! It’s mythic quality comes from the surreal magic invoked by the fact that a life can be saved by inserting mechanical parts into a dying human body. But unless the survivor abides by certain rules, life cannot last forever. Endless love, for that matter, also is not without some caveats.

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Where to Find Golden Age Comics. Waxing the Nostalgia.

Thankfully, there are digital archivists actively looking to preserve Golden Age Comics and offer them to readers to read online.

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

Golden Age Comics Spy SmasherTo read some great comic books from the yesteryears, most aficionados will have to hit auctions and estate sales to find what they want. From the Platinum Age (1897 – 1938) to Golden Age Comics (1939-1950), these titles are nearly hard to find. The latter introduced the era of the superhero to more than just one generation of readers and to purchase these comics now is near impossible. Unless you are rich, forget it.

Depending on the title, some are worth a hefty price or require handing out at least an Andrew Jackson ($20 USD) to own.

Thankfully, there are digital archivists actively looking to preserve this bit of the past and offer them to readers to read online. Not everyone is out to make an investment with an Action Comics #1 so they can wind up having a million dollar nest egg to retire on sixty-five years later. There are people out there who simply want to read these decades-old comics and recall what they enjoyed back in the days when 10 cents could buy a hamburger. For newer generations, perhaps all they want is to look at how their favourite hero or narrative medium has evolved over time.

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