Chuck Palahniuk has a wicked sense of humour

I came across this cartoon online today on Facebook, and it made me laugh. If you have read his work, and are not just a douche waffle Hipster poser, then you know that Chuck's work is some of the most visceral and gripping contemporary american literature out there, and it demands to be discussed and shared by a group of like minded individuals. This usually means that his surname is constantly being mis-pronounced. Because we are such huge fans of his work, my circle of friends has always just referred to him as Chuck. Perhaps it is a little informal, but hey, we devour his work, so I'm sure he'd be fine with it. For the record, his re-tweet of this image included the phonetic pronunciation "Paula-nick". Go figure. Look for his latest novel "Doomed" later this year, or if you haven't read them yet, rush out and buy copies of Fight Club, Rant, Invisible Monsters, and all of his other amazing novels. You'll be glad you did.

Today Was A Good Day To Die Hard

Bruce doesn't look like he has aged a day, and still has what it takes to be a cowboy

I started this post a while back, and totally forgot about it, so I figured I should eventually publish it, even if the subject matter isn't exactly topical anymore.  I actually saw the movie on Opening Night which was Valentine's Day with a friend, and for action movie fans it would have made an awesome date.  The audiece was a really cool mixed crowd of younger and older couples (mid 20's through late 60's) all of who looked pretty stoked to be there.

Got out tonight to see the new Bruce Willis movie, A Good Day to Die Hard.  Let me start out by saying that I am a fan of the Die Hard series, and Bruce Willis in general.  But while I am a fan, it is because I recognize these movies for exactly what they are.  Fun.  Light, filled with enough explosions to give Michael Bay KA-BOOM envy, and a vehicle for an aging action hero to make a quick buck. The first film is a classic action movie, and every thing after that, up until Live Free or Die Hard, was lack luster, but fun.  Live Free or die Hard was honestly impressive in the amount of KA-BOOM it brought to the screen, so it gets full props as an over the top outlandish sequel.  This lateset installent tries to go one further, attempting to take a bite out the espionage action market of films like Skyfall, and The Bourne Legacy by pairing Willis's character with his estranged son, who happens to now be a secret agent working deep cover for the American governement in Russia.  Willis's no nonsense New York cop is once again out of his league, but he brings the BOOM and the Russian terrorists don't stand a chance.  With gun's a blazin' father & son cut a swath through the baddies a mile wide, and at the end of the day there are only two cowboys left standing.
Special mention to one of the most intense car/ armoured vehicle chase scenes I have seen in recent memory.  While it is not at a particularily high pace, the amount of devestation caused is worthy of applause.
In my mind, the real question is wether or not Bruce can still pull of the action hero role, which unlike so many of his peers he does with flying colours.  (I am looking at you Arnold, and you Sly, and definitely you Jean-Claude.)

Do yourself a favour and rent or download this movie when it comes out on DVD, you won't be disapointed.

The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct

Yesterday, I picked up a used copy of newest offering from Activision.  The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct.  I had read alot of reviews and fan feedback that cautioned me that the pacing was slow, and the game suffered from a number of other drawbacks, but to be honest, I think it is pretty friggin awesome.  As a huge fan of The Walking Dead in all of it's formats, I feel like the tone of this game is spot on.  You play as Darryl Dixon, a fan favourite from the hit AMC show, voiced by Norman Reedus himself.  Activision classifies it as a 1st person "survival" game, meaning it is not the goal to execute and obliterate every walker in a given level.  Really, if you don't want to, you could like sneak past almost every walker in the game, never firing a shot.  Ofcourse, I took a slightly more aggressive approach, testing out each and every melee weapon and firearm I could get my hands on.  To be honest, I am only about 3 main levels into the campaign, so I still have a long way to go, but so far I am a huge fan of the lead pipe and the double barrel shot gun.  In true Walking Dead fashion, gunshots draw walker hordes, so the majority of the combat is up close and personal.  I have yet to discover Darryl's signature range weapon - the compound crossbow, but once I get that I will cooking with gas!
Levels are an interesting blend of wide open areas and small dark enclosed places, all filled with decomposing walkers.  While most of the graphics are a little cartoonish for my taste, the zombies look fantastic.  And the kills are wicked.  Headshots, amputations, executions...all awesome.
I can't wait to dig my teeth into the plot of this game and discover yet another facet of The Walking Dead canon.