Fungeon Dungeon

Thanks to an article over at 1up.com, I just found a pretty sweet MMORPG. And the best thing about it is it's absolutely free. Free to download, free to play, just free.


Spooky Skeleton King
The game is called Dungeon Runners, and it plays just a very bit exactly like you would expect Diablo to play if it were a 3D MMORPG. I didn't team up with any other players, but had a blast running through the woods, dungeons, rocky landscapes, etc. killing Wargs, Oroks, and various other nasties. They also got some experience with killing me as well.


That's my Framston
Of course there is a small catch to the whole "free" aspect of the game, but not a deal breaking one. For a small fee of US $4.99/month you can get a "Membership Package" that includes; Access to the higher level loot in the game (you can still get these items from monsters etc. and sell them with the free account, but you just can't equip them), Log-in queue priority (not a problem right now), Bank Storage, and Stacking Potions (this would really help conserve space in your inventory). More members only perks are rumored to be forthcoming.


Framston takes in Townston and shows off his new hat.
The game has a pretty good sense of humor and some bad puns throughout. There are NPCs that speak in a bad imitation of Sean Connery's voice with lame, but funny Bond references, the main town is called Townston, and the items and equipment you pick up have some truly bizarre names.


Intergalctic Tarnished Decoder Ring of the Rabble-rousing Crocodile
Wacky name, sweet stats, and members only
I decided I wanted a magic user. The only other choices were Warrior and Ranger. I liked the idea of trowing around fireballs and lightning (which you just happen to start with as a Mage). As you earn money and experience you can train in many other spells or skills depending on your class. You can even learn skills from the other classes if you like.


My favorite magic attack.
Lightning can hit up to 5 enemies at once.
The game is nowhere near as deep or diverse as the big MMORPGs like WoW or Everquest, but for a dungeon crawler it's pretty fun, and for free it's a great way to pass a few hours/days.

Human Nature

The latest episode of Doctor Who was in my opinion the best episode this season, and maybe the best of David Tennant's run so far. That's only based on one viewing, and as it's a two-pater, the second half will have an affect on my feelings for the first in a small part. Because if they can't end it well, it will taint the beginning in my opinion. But I'm expecting a good follow up.


Spoiler to follow.


The Doctor's life in a watch, how fitting.

This is the first story to use one of the original Doctor Who novels as it's basis. Season one of the new series used one of the Big Finish audios, "Jubilee" as a very loose basis for the episode "Dalek", but even though I haven't read the novel "Human Nature" I believe that this stays truer to the original story. And it seems that having a novel to start from, this story is much more fleshed out than a lot of recent episodes have been. There is still some rushing along of the plot, but as they have two episodes to work with, I am expecting it to be suitably wrapped up next time.


Maid Martha delivers John Smith his paper and breakfast.
Having said that, I'm not sure they can make me fully understand why the Doctor seems to have always had a device hanging above the console that could change his DNA, or the Timelord equivalent, into that of any other species. I'm guessing it was for budget and episode time restriction reasons. No time for the Doctor to build it in the episode, and no budget to show a science lab in the TARDIS. But as it's Doctor Who, I let it slide.


John Smith teaches a class.
The storytelling is very good in this ep as well. I like the fact that it begins as a flashback/dream, and not like so many other shows have been doing so much of, starting the show with some big predicament, then cutting to show "six hours/days earlier" and leading back up to the opening scene. While that's not a bad storytelling style, it's way overused.


John Smith's sketches are the first visions of past Doctors in the new series.
There is very little of the actual aliens in this episode, and a lot of period drama as the human John Smith teaches at a boys school in 1913 England. They save a lot of budget by having the aliens take over people's bodies, although they do have some creepy scarecrow monsters, although it hasn't been explained why the aliens use scarecrows.


Martha alone in the TARDIS
It's quite interesting seeing Martha being the one in the know, and trying to keep the Doctor safe for a change, and on top of that, having to deal with being a black woman in 1913 England, while knowing she is smarter than most everyone around her.


Nurse Redfern and John Smith get a little closer.
As John Smith falls in love with a nurse at the school, you have to wonder what will become of her once he gets his memory, and DNA, back where it belongs. I fear it will mean the death of her in the end. Unless he has Martha jump ahead 40 years or so, so he can live out a full life with his new bride, then once she dies he could change back into a timelord, and be his old self again. I'm sure it will be an emotional event however it ends up.


These aliens are just plain cruel!
I can't wait until next week to see how it all wraps up, and then not long after that, the return of Captain Jack, and just who is Mr. Saxon?

Fido is coming

Back in January I heard and posted about a little film called "Fido" that tells the heartwarming tale of a boy and his zombie.

Now there is a US release date, June 15th, and better yet a US trailer for all to check out.



Not only does it look to be a hilarious film, it also answers the question " What ever happened to Carrie-Ann Moss?". Something else I didn't realize until I started checking the credits, because it's hard to recognize him under the make-up and mostly because he's clean shaven (I'm sure due to the aforementioned make-up), Billy Connolly stars as Fido.

This is one film I want to see in the theatre, and my fingers will be crossed that it's as good as the trailer makes it look.

42

After a week without the Doctor, thanks to Eurovision, Doctor Who returned to BBC1 last Saturday with the episode "42". And while not a masterpiece, I thought it was much better than the last couple of episodes.

Spoilers and whatnot



As well as being a nod to HHGG "42" was an attempt at a new way to tell a Doctor Who story. The title refers to the 42 minutes left until the spaceship the Doctor and Martha land on crashes into a star. So other than the short bits at the beginning and end of the story, the 42 minutes in the middle are told in just about real time with shots of the countdown clock every few minutes.



This seems to be a decent idea for the new series as it usually seems rather rushed anyway, and this time there is a decent excuse for it. Even so, this episode has the same problems as most of the new series, you don't get to know the guest cast well enough to care if they live or die.



Because of the whole crashing into the sun scenario, from the moment Martha and the Doctor arrive on the ship they are rushing around trying to keep it it from burning up. And while they do save the day, I believe that 5 of the 7 people on board the ship die, and for the most part we don't really have much reason to care. Martha makes a friend with one of the crew, and he gets to survive. The Doctor gets to know a couple of the crew, and they get to die.



Martha's life is put in danger, and the Doctor saves her of course. The Doctor is also put in a couple life threatening situations, and the seemed like regeneration causing threats, but somehow he made it through them without snuffing it.

We also had some more teases about the mysterious Mr. Saxon, and how he is manipulating Martha's Mum, but it will be a few more eps before that unfolds.

And fun was had by all

Last night was the Detroit premiere of "broken" and turnout was great.

The audience really got into the film. They laughed, cheered, and gasped in all the proper places even.

If you were one of the lucky ones that came, Thanks!

If you couldn't make it, and easily could have, SHAME ON YOU!

There are plans for premieres in Grand Rapids, MI and Ohio in the works, so if you missed seeing "broken" on the big screen this time, you still have a chance.

DVDs will be forthcoming, but we don't have a date yet.

You can check out hundereds of pictures from behind the scenes of the filming of "broken" here.

Just Shows To Go Ya

NBC announced it's new fall lineup of shows, and there are a few shows that have me interested.

Two are remakes, and one is a new show, but very similar to an old show. And oddly enough they all star an English person.

Starting with the new we have Journeyman, which on the surface, has similarities to Quantum Leap, but looks to be more interesting than the solve the problem of the week QL stuck with.

The first of the remakes is really a re-imagining, ala Battlestar Galactica and even from one one of the producers of BSG. Bionic Woman sees a completely updated telling of Jaime Sommers, apparently without the help of Steve Austin. Definitely going for the Alias vibe with this one.

The other remake is the American version of the very funny British sitcom The I.T. Crowd. But rather than totally recasting the show like they did with The Office (which became funny after they stopped trying to copy the original scene for scene) they kept one of the funniest actors from the original, Richard Ayoade. Unfortunately they put in one of the lamest people to ever grace, well anything, Joel McHale from E!'s The Soup.

Here are NBC's blurbs about the shows. Click on the show titles to check out the NBC show sites and watch some clips from the shows, and interviews from the stars/creators.

Journeyman

Dan Vassar thought he had it all: a loving wife, a great son and a steady job. But life suddenly throws him a curve ball. Dan finds himself traveling into the past with a purpose – impacting people's lives for the better – and sometimes the worse. While doing so, Dan reconnects
with Livia Beale, his ex-fiancée whom he lost in a mysterious plane crash. Now armed with the knowledge of the present, will he be able to save her? What would that mean to his own future? And how would it change a man who thought he had it all?

Bionic Woman

Struggling as a bartender and surrogate mom to her teen-aged sister, Jaime Sommers didn't think life could get much harder. But when a devastating car accident leaves her at death's door, Jaime's only hope of survival is through a cutting-edge, top-secret technology that comes at a hefty price.

With a whole new existence and a debt to repay, Jaime must figure out how to use her extraordinary abilities for good, while weighing the personal sacrifices she will have to make. Ultimately, it's Jaime's journey of self-discovery and inner strength that will help her embrace her new life as...The Bionic Woman.

The IT Crowd

You know those cool guys who charm the ladies, have tons of friends and get invited to the hottest parties? Roy and Moss are not those guys. A night of fun for these I.T. nerds means getting dressed to the nines for the latest iPhone webcast. But Jen, their new office manager, is going to change all that. Tech-savvy, she’s not, but she knows how to win people over and get ahead. After living for years in oblivion, Roy and Moss hope Jen can help them get the recognition they so desperately long for.

I'd love for all of these shows to be good and last, but knowing how American television works, I don't have high hopes.

7 Days And Counting

Yes, that's right, It's only a week away!

What, you ask?

Why the Detroit premiere of "broken", that's what!



As I mentioned a couple months back, the Detroit area premiere of the independent film that I did the camera work for is premiering a week from today, May 17th at the Emagine Theatre in Novi, MI.

This will be the very first time that anyone will see the completed final edit of the film. It's taken over two years from the first day of shooting until this point, and we are very happy with what we were able to accomplish, and want as many people to come and check it out.

Doors will open at 7PM, and we will be showing some short films and trailers for other local independent film makers before the premiere. Then directly following the film we will move next door to Lucky's for an after party that everyone is encouraged to attend.

So head on over to the "broken" website and get some tickets and join us next week for a great time, and a great movie!

The Lazarus Experiment

This past Saturday's episode of Doctor Who continued the recent trend of stories that leave you wanting more. More entertaining stories that is.

Spoilers may settle in shipping.

The Doctor finally brings Martha back home to present day London. And just like he told Rose before her, he tells her she's only been gone 12 hours. Although this time he's correct.



As is becoming all to common of late, the story opens well, and just seems to go nowhere exciting. Kind of like Gridlock before it, this story's most interesting bits are the few minutes of foreshadowing for the series story arc rather than the actual episode itself. For Doctor Who, and sci-fi in general, the story has been done in oh so many ways before. Tell me if this sounds familiar at all.



A scientist has come up with an amazing device that will change the world. He tests it on himself, and becomes a monster. He attacks people and drains their life. The hero appears to defeat said monster, but the monster escapes and heads for (drum roll) a huge gothic church. The hero follows, hero's friend is in imminent danger, and then the monster is vanquished, only to turn back into the scientist as it dies.



Even though this story is nothing new, it could have been done in a much more interesting way. I know the BBC has a limited budget, but the monster looked like any of a dozen other CG monsters out there. Very lackluster. And, as is the whole of this new incarnation of Doctor Who, the story is way too rushed for us to get a feeling of why we should care about any characters other than the Doctor and his companion.

The interesting bits were, as I mentioned, the bits that alluded to the mysterious Mr. Saxon, who is to be played by John Simm (Life on Mars) in upcoming episodes, if rumors are correct. And also if rumors are correct, he could end up being one of the Doctor's oldest foes returned to the new series.

The best part of the broadcast was in fact the trailer for the rest of the series. As the show will not air this Saturday due to Eurovision being on in it's place, the BBC ran a trailer that makes the rest of the series look really exciting.

Here are some screen grabs, with more on my flickr account;


We need a Timelord


It all took place in the future


Aaargh!


Who could this be then?


The Captain is back


Mr. Saxon?


Why Doesn't the Doctor look so happy?
And where is Martha?

And here is the trailer itself on Youtube;



I just hope that it lives up to the expectations the trailer gives.

Evolution of the Daleks

Two Saturdays past now the second half of the Dalek two parter aired, wrapping up the pepperpots wacky adventures in 1930's New York.

Yes, I'm a bit behind again.

Sue me.

Spoilers to follow.

Part of the reason it keeps taking me a while to get around to writing up these reviews is that the last group of episodes just haven't wowed me.



This episode sees the Daleks coming to terms with the new hybrid human/dalek they have created. And rather than becoming the future of the Daleks, or a warring offshoot, or some other interesting idea, they just end up killing off the hybrid.

There was a lot of potential there, but they just tossed it away.



When they brought back the Daleks (or rather a single Dalek) in the first new series, they made them out to be so horrible that even one Dalek was no match for the near future's military force to deal with. But now we see that four Daleks have to hide away in the basement in the 1930s.



They are not doing a very good job of making them any scarier in my opinion, but as they were voted scariest Doctor Who monster recently I may be in the minority. I wonder how that vote would go now, or after this series finishes.



Anyway, overall, not a horrible story, but not a great one either. At the end of it all the Doctor Dalek relationship hasn't changed, and once again there is supposedly only one Dalek and one Timelord left. That is if you don't think about the fact that the TARDIS travels in time, and just because there planets have been destroyed, that doesn't mean every TImelord or Daleks have been completely wiped from history.

Does it?

Realm of Darkness

The past few weeks I have been busy working on a short film for a local haunted house called The Realm of Darkness.

Steve Hopton, one of the lead actors in "broken", the upcoming independent film I worked on, asked "broken" director Derek Justice and myself if we could put together a new film for the haunted house for which he works. Derek also enlisted Michigan filmmaker Douglas Akers to help shoot footage for the film. This film is meant as an introduction to the house, and helps get the visitors into the proper mood.

The Realm of Darkness is one of two featured houses for Hauntcon 2007 going on this weekend in Dearborn Michigan. We will be promoting "broken" at a table outside the house Friday night, as well as selling tickets for the "broken" Detroit premiere, which is just 2 weeks away now!


Here's our finished work for The Realm of Darkness.



It looks much better when shown on a big widescreen TV, and not compressed for Youtube.