This One’s For Me

But of course, you’re more than welcome to take a look. It’s a new documentary about my all-time favorite PC game(s).

What happens when one of the most revolutionary series in video games suddenly goes dark? To celebrate its 20th anniversary, Noclip hits the road to investigate the legacy of Half-Life and the incredible community working to keep the dream alive.

Featuring Geoff Keighley (The Game Awards), Cory Barlog (God of War), Vince Zampella (Titanfall / Call of Duty), Randy Pitchford (Borderlands), Laura Michet, Scott Smith, Robert Yang and more.

Marvel Comics 7-Eleven Slurpee Plastic Cup Set

Originally posted to Facebook, but I’m deleting all my shit over there and wanted to hang on to these. Marvel Slurpee cups, one more pop culture item that makes me nostalgic for the Seventies.

Four sets of these plastic cups were produced — three for Marvel Comics characters and one set for DC Comics characters. This is the first of the three Marvel sets issued. Marvel’s more popular characters — Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk and The Thing — each received three cups.

Movie Crush Podcast

Not sure how you bastards feel about podcasts or which ones you fancy, but I’ve gotten into this one pretty hard in the last few days.

Movie Crush is an interview show where Chuck Bryant from Stuff You Should Know sits down with your favorite people to talk about their favorite movie. Simple enough, but what we get is much more than that. It’s a look at what makes a favorite thing, and why someone’s favorite movie says so much about who they are. More conversation than interview, Movie Crush, at its heart, is about the love affair we all have with the silver screen.

About the Host

Chuck is the co-host of the long-running Stuff You Should Know podcast. Born and raised in Atlanta, he spent time in New York and LA working in the film industry before returning home and eventually starting his career as a podcaster. Since then, SYSK has grown into one of the biggest podcasts in the world and Chuck has found himself as an “accidental” veteran of a new medium. In his spare time, Chuck likes to hang out with his wife and daughter and play in his “old man band” El Cheapo.

Recently, Chuck’s co-worker Casey joined him for a three part series on the genius of Stanley Kubrick. He and Chuck dive deep on Casey’s pick for part one, The Shining. Hit play and settle in …

Becoming Bond

We watched this on a whim last night. Best described as lightweight fun, but a must-see for James Bond obsessives. Lazenby is a great storyteller!

ABOUT BECOMING BOND
A Hulu Original Documentary chronicling the bizarre true story of George Lazenby, an Australian car mechanic, who managed to land the role of James Bond despite never acting a day in his life.

Every Day Of My Life

Go to my office, sit at my desk,
Predictably just like all of the rest.
I sit and I dream about far away places,
Away from the people with frowns on their faces.
All of my life is monotony
I’d go out for a walk but I know it would be
(Predictable)
Sure as the nose on my face
(Predictable)
Same for the whole human race
Once we (once we) had so many options
Once we (once we) had dignity and grace
Now we (now we) have got nothing but our own time to waste.

I Want To See This Now

The little indie that could.

From Ars Technica

Back during SXSW 2018, Ars caught a small, enchanting bit of space sci-fi called Prospect, and evidently many others felt just as smitten. The film ended up snagging a distribution deal soon after and is now being released in theaters starting this weekend.

I’m Busy, Watch This

https://youtu.be/PjBO6bzVM4o

In 1998, a little known company named Valve released a first-person shooter named Half-Life and changed the face of gaming. Where other shooters struggled to provide even a semblance of a story, Half-Life had brains to match its brawns; a stirring tale featuring a realistic human cast and a protagonist that was more than a hand and a gun unfolded before the player’s eyes as they progressed through each level.

As Valve grew, so too did Half-Life’s reputation, with Half-Life 2 in 2004 once again revolutionizing the genre, and its episodic expansions, Half-life 2: Episode One and Episode Two, further raising the bar. The series didn’t release consistently, and occasionally suffered unexpected and painful setbacks; but when it did, it seemed as if Valve could do no wrong – until the series suddenly stopped. Shifting priorities, a lack of motivation, and other, more nebulous factors would lead Valve to put Half-Life on ice in the middle of its prime, leaving a generation of gamers adrift, and an opus unfinished.

And yet – Half-Life lives on. Be it in the innumerable games and series it inspired or provided the computative bedrock for, an undying stream of mods, or other media based on the franchise, Half-Life’s DNA is permanently embedded in the fabric of the video game industry, and will likely remain so for some time. As sad as it is that a Half-Life 2: Episode 3 or a Half-Life 3 will likely never happen, and as frustrating as it is that Valve remains belligerent as to precisely why, the series, for the most part, has only really fallen… out of Valve’s hands.

This is the rise and fall of Half-Life.

Fear

I was reminded of these guys at band practice the other night. LOVED this record in high school, in a way that kids tend to love stuff they know will piss off their parents. Listening to it again 30 years later, I think it holds up. I’m particularly impressed with Lee Ving’s vocals. (Hilarious lyrics and a tight band who can really play don’t hurt, either.)

As is my want, I did a little research. Turns out, Ving (real name Lee Capallero) is a bit of a journeyman musician. Before Fear, he sang in a Philadelphia blues band called Sweet Stavin Chain, who shared stages with B.B. King, Buddy Guy and Cream. Most recently, he plays in an outlaw country band called Range War. He’s an actor too, typically cast as degenerates and lowlifes. He was Mr. Boddy in the 1985 film, Clue.

There’s too many of us
There’s too many of us
There’s too many
There’s too many of us
There’s too many of us
There’s too many

Let’s have a war
So you can go and die
Let’s have a war
We could all use the money
Let’s have a war
We need the space
Let’s have a war
Clean out this place

It already started in the city
Suburbia will be just as easy

There’s too many of us
There’s too many of us
There’s too many
There’s too many of us
There’s too many of us
There’s too many

Let’s have a war
Jack up the Dow Jones
Let’s have a war
It can start in New Jersey
Let’s have a war
Blame it on the middle class
Let’s have a war
We’re like rats in our cage

It already started in the city
Suburbia will be just as easy

There’s too many of us
There’s too many of us
There’s too many
There’s too many of us
There’s too many of us
There’s too many

Let’s have a war
Sell the rights to the network
Let’s have a war
Till our wallets get fat like last time
Let’s have a war
Give guns to the queers
Let’s have a war
The enemy’s within

It already started in the city
Suburbia will be just as easy

There’s too many of us
There’s too many of us
There’s too many
There’s too many of us
There’s too many of us
There’s too many