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Knee-Deep in Winter Videogames Set in the Snow

Knee deep with a look back at the best Winter videogames with snow as a major theme!

By Shawn Trommeshauser
(Dreaming in Digital)

Snow and ice in videogames is often considered to be a nuisance. Controlling your character gets harder as you loose traction. You might have to halt your adventure to find shelter and stay warm. Perhaps you’re lost in a blizzard and have to carefully navigate your way clear. But some games want to play in the snow. They’re offering pristine worlds of snow and ice to frolic in. Here are five examples of winter gaming that you might enjoy checking out!

Videogames Silent Hill Still

Silent Hill

The original PlayStation horror classic is bursting with many things, though holiday cheer is not one of them.

The town of Silent Hill is shrouded in perpetual fog and snow falling out of season. This seemingly empty mountain town is where you have to search for your daughter who went missing after a car accident. Just hope nothing else finds her, or you, first.

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The Vintage Tempest’s Animated Picks of 2016

2016 has been a stellar year for animated films and the power of myth almost dominates my top five picks.

Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest) — By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

2016 has been a stellar year for animated films and the power of myth almost dominates my top five picks. Moana comes close to making the list, but a part of me is troubled because Disney North America retired Lilo & Stitch. While everybody’s favourite trouble-maker is still loved in Japan with new material in the past years, to see Disney West’s foray into Polynesian culture being replaced with a new product has always bothered me.

When awards season comes, there’s close to 25 films to consider. Hopefully, from my list, I will get to see my favourite get the gold, and I begin with my number one pick.

To read my full review, please click on the title.

red_turtle

The Red Turtle

(Studio Ghibli, Arte, Belvision Studios, Prima Linea Productions, CN4 Productions)

I’m really hoping for this film to win. The main reason is that it breaks against the stereotypes found in most narratives. Instead of a hero’s journey, it’s a lament and look at the life and times of a survivor living on a deserted island. Although there is a sense that he might one day get rescued, to watch him try to survive is at the core of this product.

At first, the turtle he encounters is vicious towards him, but as the events unfold, they forge a bond that’s not to be forgotten. I cried at the end, and I will not say why for those who have not seen this movie yet.

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Remembering 2015’s Best Animated Works

The best animated works came from Netflix’s streaming service. And DreamWorks offered a lot which Loved.

Disney Pixar Inside Out Movie Poster — PIXAR’s film is a strong contender come Oscar season!

2015 was very good for many fans of the animation genre. The best animated works came from Netflix‘s streaming service. And DreamWorks offered a lot which Loved. Turbo FAST’s serialized offering was okay, but in what I loved was All Hail King Julian! Other programs like Dragons: Race to the Edge, Dawn of the Croods and Adventures of Puss in Boots shows that at least the studio is dedicated.

But what does that mean for other studios? Curiously, DreamWorks has not continued 2014’s Penguins of Madagascar movie. Has Nickelodeon said no to the studio making more or has Tom McGrath, the voice of Skipper, decided to move on? Currently, he’s working on Boss Baby, slated for release in 2017.

Disney/Pixar was busy with two releases, Inside Out and The Good Dinosaur, and while I favour the prehistoric adventure more than a look at what goes on inside a little girl’s head, I do see the former being a contender come Oscar season. I do have to wonder how long Minion-mania will last. It arrived in full force because of the movie and it showed no signs of slowing down over the holidays with merchandise being deeply discounted and the film put onto home video super early!

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13 Halloween Movies That One Should Never Forget

Sometimes, the best Halloween Movies are those which can withstand the test of time than to follow the trends.

Halloween Movies - Haxan. Witchcraft through the Ages Some horror flicks come and go as part of the must watch tradition when All Hallow’s Eve approaches. Others are just plain forgotten over the years, if not in the passing of a century. If there’s ever a list that need to bring the ‘classics’ back, the hope is to bring the movies from the yesteryear back to the fore. These Halloween movies are the ones I loved watching while growing up. Whether it’s themed for the season or not, I feel certain films should never get discarded in favour for new ones. A couple of comedic films are added just so some folks will not come out scarred after a marathon view of these movies.

Häxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages (1929)

If this classic silent film is viewed along with The Wicker Man, then just maybe the third Halloween film can be better appreciated. Although very dated in its special effects technology and very primeval, this movie is just as effective now for its haunting terror. I love this film because it is very atmospheric. It blends a documentary and fiction together as the history of witchcraft is explored. While the Wiccans of today proclaim that they are not witches, there are similarities that must be studied.

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