Month: June 2021

How to Catch Peter Rabbit 2

Peter Rabbit 2 Movie Poster Ed Sum
(the Vintage Tempest)

For more information, please visit the official website.

Coming to PVOD in Canada
Rent it at home July 2!

Not everyone will have seen Peter Rabbit 2. This film may have hopped, skipped or jumped past certain theatres and purists (those who know the source material by Beatrix Potter) are more likely to pass this film series up than try to watch. I enjoy this modern update as it introduces him to a new generation where he’s not quite as rascally as Bugs Bunny and nor is he a Winnie the Pooh.

Thomas McGregor (Domhnall Gleeson) is more or less considered this bunny’s (voiced by James Corden) handler. This film picks up from where the last left off. He married Bea (Rose Byrne) and she proves Pete is “marketable.” Her children’s books about the rabbit are popular enough to get the attention of a huge publisher. She’s being courted to sell the rights so that the bigwigs can send the bunny to places akin to how a certain beagle has become huge for Apple TV. This other series no longer has the same quality as Charles Schultz‘s works. 

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Godzilla Singular Point’s Mixed Metaphor

Ver Godzilla Singular Point Temporada 1 Capitulo 2 Online - EntrePeliculasySeriesBy Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

On Netflix
Spoiler Alert

Gojira has evolved with the times. Previous treatments during specific decades saw him as either a metaphor of systematic destruction, humanity’s relationship with nature, or simply be a reluctant hero. Ever since his introduction in 1954, the story direction had no definitive bible for future filmmakers to consult or even abide by. That eventually changed circa 1984 with Return of Godzilla (known as the Heisei era) where each film interconnects and again 1999 (Millennium). The ideas being offered per movie didn’t always pan out and the latest, starting with Shin Godzilla (2016) is getting way out there. 

The series Godzilla: Singular Point depicts him as absolutely primordial. He is on an evolutionary path to destruction and rebirth. From a giant sea wurm to a dinosaur, he’s not to be reckoned with. Instead of a relic of a prehistoric age, he’s now a nexus point where all things (not necessarily human life) begin and end. 

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The Power of Music in Ionia VR

Five percent of proceeds from the sales of this game will benefit environmental non-profit Wildlife Warriors. Established in 2002 by Steve and Terri Irwin, Wildlife Warriors continues Steve “The Crocodile Hunter” Irwin’s legacy of protecting injured, threatened or endangered wildlife. The latest trailer reveals this family’s involvement with this product:

Rhythm of the Universe: Ionia on SteamBy Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

The Rhythm of the Universe is alive in Ionia, the first in a series of virtual reality games about preserving the environment with the power of music. There’ll be seven in total. The first game that’s due soon is a single-player fantasy-adventure puzzle and the trailer was unveiled during UploadVR Summer Showcase by ROTU Entertainment. They are planning on making it available in Q3 for the Oculus Quest, PlayStation VR, and VR capable PC. It’s expected to sell for $9.99.

Five percent of proceeds from the sales of this game will benefit environmental non-profit Wildlife Warriors. Established in 2002 by Steve and Terri Irwin, Wildlife Warriors continues Steve “The Crocodile Hunter” Irwin‘s legacy of protecting injured, threatened or endangered wildlife. The latest trailer reveals this family’s involvement with this product:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvClLinyPtI%5D

 

I’m particularly excited about this rhythm game as it’s bound to be different from current products like Beat Saber (the most well known) or Beat the Rhythm. Add on top the fact that I’m a fan of Steve’s mission and his works, the recognition is most likely to get even casual gamers to check this new game out. The fact creature designer Neville Page of Avatar fame (James Cameron) is involved in the design guarantees a certain level of quality control in the final product. In the trailer, the visuals says it all. It feels like the world is borne from Mononoke Hime and Avatar, and what it’ll become is going to be Fantasia 2021. The scale of the fauna found in this world may well put Shadow of the Colossus to shame. Not only are players composing music, but also they must (I assume) use it to tame the various beasts encountered during gameplay.

The teaser trailer (see below) shows off the exquisite beauty of how this world will look like on high-powered VR gaming machines. It’s bound to shine on properly decked out virtual reality PC systems and the PS5 than with older generation machines. Hopefully the mistakes made from Cyberpunk 2027 will not be repeated, to ensure playability across the multiple platforms this game is destined for. Continue reading “The Power of Music in Ionia VR”

Selling Your Soul to Dark Deity!

I enjoyed the time I spent playing Dark Deity and I see a lot of potential in this game. It has a solid foundation and it’s clear that with a little more polish, this game can truly shine.

DarkDeity_Deluxe_Hero_01 (1)By Shawn Trommeshauser
(Dreaming in Digital)

Disclaimer: Review copy was supplied
Available on Steam for PC
See me play this game on Twitch (archived).

In the Kingdom of Delian, King Varic is waging a reckless war to avenge the death of his father. However, things are not going well for the demanding ruler. To bolster his forces, he forcibly conscripts every student in his military academy directly into the army. This is where Irving and his companions come into the story. These trainees are pulled into a war they aren’t fully prepared for, and along the way are drawn into an even greater conflict that could upend their entire world.

This is the setup for Dark Deity, a new Strategy Role Playing game developed by Sword & Axe LLC and published by Freedom Games. It’s now available after a successful campaign on Kickstarter in the Summer of 2020.

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Time to Seek, not Hyde from this Musical Extravaganza!

This special two-day event celebrates two decades of Hyde’s career as a solo artist.

Musical
©VAMPROSE Inc. All Rights Reserved.

For more information, please visit the main website.

EVENT INFORMATION

Sat, July 31, 2021
18:30 Open / 19:00 Start (JST)
Archive streaming period: Aug 1, 21:00 (JST) – Aug 4, 20:59 (JST)

Sun, Aug 1, 2021
18:30 Open / 19:00 Start (JST)
Archive streaming period: Aug 2, 21:00 (JST) – Aug 5 20:59 (JST)

Internationally acclaimed rock vocalist Hyde is celebrating and he’s hoping fans world-wide can join him. Not only is “20th Orchestra Concert 2021 HYDE HEIANJINGU” will be performed live at Heian Shrine in Kyoto, one of Japan’s top cultural landmarks, but also it’ll be broadcasted to movie theaters across country and streamed live worldwide.

This special two-day event celebrates two decades of his career as a solo artist. He’s personally selected the orchestra to perform at this platinum event. Archive viewing of the concert will be available to fans so they can enjoy the event in their own time zones. International ticket information will be announced soon.

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Los (or is that Lost?) Luca

Luca Movie PosterBy Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Spoiler Alert

Not every PIXAR movie starts off with a bang. Sometimes the hook isn’t there, especially when viewers don’t really know that the world is fearful of legendary beasts in Luca. People should learn to love them and I wondered if this film may be this studio’s return to Monsters Inc.

Instead, we have another coming of age tale by Enrico Casarosa making his directorial debut. He drew upon his childhood and knowledge of local (Roman) folklore for his story. I believe he was struggling to decide in what kind of movie to make. It’s definitely inspired by A Little Mermaid. Plus, it has that The Good Dinosaur cum Finding Nemo vibe–especially when the parents go searching for their runaway son. Eventually, the perspective switches into something akin to Splash and Ponyo. This multi-tribute mix is okay, but when this film is loaded with the requisite Studio Ghibli references, I was tempted to turn this film off.

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