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Last to See Gran Turismo the Movie. It’s Just Another Day at the Races, and That’s Okay

There’s really nothing new that hasn’t been done before in Gran Turismo. This latest movie to be based on a videogame at least has its heart in the right place.

Grand Turismo 4K Case — **Available to purchase on Amazon USA**

Gran Turismo is a movie I never raced to the theatres to see. That’s because the director, Neill Blomkamp, is more synonymous with indie than studio manufactured content. I adore Chappie and District 9, and when he’s not attached to writing this latest, my trepidation was warrented.

The idea of telling the story about a video gamer turned racer is interesting enough to adapt to a motion picture. After all, if I’m to say I love Jean-Claude Van Damme‘s Bloodsport, then I should give this movie a chance too. And when Santa Sony Pictures sent me their home video release for me to evaluate. I’m glad I saw this film through my home theatre’s sound system. The only Dolby ATMOS certified cinema is out in the Western Communities and everything else in town pales in comparison (save for the Royal BC Museum’s IMAX).

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Danger, Danger, Miles Morales! There’s Trouble All Across the Spider-Verse!

Not everyone will have watched Marvel’s What If series which explains how many worlds exist in Across the Spider-Verse, and one nexus point concerns Miles Morales and canon events which define the foundation of how this omniverse continues.

To answer the joke of what happens when one Spider-Man disappears from the multiverse, another version will simply take his place! Across the Spider-Verse, just how many of this hero we meet requires putting the film on pause and counting every iteration presented to audiences! That’s what I wanted to do when this action got really baffling, and this movie is not just about Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore).

Well, technically, it is about this version and Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld). Both are having daddy issues. Regarding what these two have to measure up to is what parents want for their kids. This angle is at the heart of the film, and it’s wonderfully defined when they finally have the talk.

And there’s also all that glitz which makes watching this film a pop culture explosion of Andy Warhol, Leonardo da Vinci and many other post-modern artists put into a blender. But the range of styles don’t end there. There’s flourishes of Norman W. Marsh’s Detective Dan and much more. To name all the artistic influences would be tough, and I’m certain that amongst all the names who have drawn the wall-crawler, I’m still searching for a moment Todd McFarlane’s signature style is splashed all over.

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Ghostbusters Spirits Unleashed Coming Oct 18th

Ghostbusters Spirits Unleashed is a 4v1 hunt and haunt action-packed asymmetrical multiplayer now available for pre-order!

The Ghostbusters are back in business once again, but this time it’s as a videogame! Although there’s no signs of a virtual reality version, Ghostbusters Spirits Unleashed is a 4v1 hunt and haunt action-packed asymmetrical multiplayer now available for pre-order! The trailer picks up from where the last movie, Afterlife, left off, with Hudson as the CEO, and it’s terrific we got a narrative to go along with the gameplay.

This product from IllFonic, Inc. will be available come Tuesday, October 18, 2022, on PC via Epic Games Store, PlayStation 4|5, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One.

From the Press Release

Form a team with up to three other Ghostbusters to track down Ghosts haunting a number of locales. Sniff out paranormal activity with the P.K.E. Meter and charge it to unleash a short-range pulse disabling Ghost movement. Unveil hidden rifts acting as the Ghost’s spawn points and teleportation portals, and destroy them. Use the powerful Particle Throwers to capture the Ghost, deploy a trap, and wrangle them into it before they escape!

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Can Spider-Man diehards Get #ReleaseTheRaimiCut?

Whether this studio will consider #ReleaseTheRaimiCut depends less on demand and more on support from the team who helped make Spider-Man 3.

Back in 2020, fandom’s #ReleasetheSnyderCut movement caused Warner Brothers to release an alternate Justice League movie. Now, fans of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 are hoping Sony can give this old product a similar treatment. They even have found information on what was filmed and lost, in hopes bits can be restored.

Whether this studio will consider #ReleaseTheRaimiCut depends less on demand and more on support from the team who helped make this film. Earlier this week was Tobey Maguire’s birthday, and social media used that fact as a platform to remind fans they’re still trying.

THREAD: All the deleted, alternative and extended scenes from SPIDER-MAN 3.

Collected from various trailers, featurettes, behind the scenes photos and the novelisation of the film. pic.twitter.com/8kbDcmsHYK
— Will (@WilliamD1123) May 27, 2018

In the years since, this actor resumed working on television. He has done no other superhero type work after his tenure was finished.

For now, all fans have is an Editor’s Cut which didn’t amount to much in 2017. Owners of that set noted there were three new scenes, three alternate endings and an extended. It was part of the Legacy Collection 4K/Blu-ray Box Set.

Sadly, I feel that nothing will be done to further enhance the old films. Even though reception for the past actors reprising the role was praised in Spider-Man: No Way Home, the only way it can go forward is for a business executive at Sony Entertainment to say to the board, “People love Sam Raimi! He did well with Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness, so let’s try again!”

All supporters can hope for is a fan edit should an update come. It isn’t too hard to put back dropped or deleted scenes into a film from what’s available (i.e. trailers). After finding Spider-Man 3 Editor’s Cut on rental, it didn’t do anything for me to further improve the work. As for whether footage from the Venom films can be used, it’d be a challenge! It may even flesh out the problems with the third film’s story arc about the sentient alien goo.

To stay current with the latest plans, please follow https://twitter.com/RaimiCut

Not Quite in Rhythm with, than of the Universe: Ionia

It’s a reasonable enough product for one play through.

Available for the
PC (on Steam), PS4 and Oculus

Disclaimer: The PlayStation version was provided for evaluation

The VR game, Rhythm of the Universe: Ionia is an intro to a grander project that’s still in development. The potential hasn’t been pushed because the graphics have to be easy to migrate from PC to the PSVR and Oculus platforms. This product is developed through Unity, and I hope what’s offered next will be an improvement when compared to what this sampler offers. Hopefully by then, ROTU Entertainment will have figured out the issues.

The developers recommendation is a mid-tier PC with the HTC Vive as the headset of choice. I understand why this rig is the best. When the computer is powered by the best high-end video cards, the in-game visuals can sparkle. The highly positionable base stations (cameras) for this particular VR rig do a better job to make wandering around in Ionia feel more natural. I visited a friend’s home with a proper setup to get a taste of what the developers really intended.

The Oculus uses 6DOF motion tracking and the PSVR uses a stereo camera with a lighted head unit to compute where people are. Sadly, the controls with the Sony unit are clunky. Grabbing onto virtual items and trying to use them isn’t as fluid. Stray off camera, and tracking is lost. Using the PS Move controller to play the xylophone was hard. If you’re not in the sweet spot, it’s easy to appear through objects and not be able to drum. This crucial part needs improved error detection. I had to often reset.

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