Optimus Prime Gets A Face Lift

I just pulled this image off of a fan website for Michael Bay's upcoming Transformers 4.

Optimus Prime has been totally redesigned with a very 2nd gen feel, and I think I like it. Despite generally being a traditionalist when it comes to my transformers, I feel like the series needs to keep up with the times, and continue to showcase interesting new visuals to maintain its fan base. Apparently this 4th installment has an entirely new human cast, which is a shame, really only Shia Labouf had to go in my mind, all the military personnel that appeared in the first movies were solid. Josh Duhame was a personal favorite. The plot is still very much a mystery, but the interweb is still abuzz with the fact that Mark Whalberg signed on without ever having seen a script, or even knowing the name of the character he would be playing. I'll see this in theaters, if only to hear Peter Cullen's magnificent voice acting as Optimus Prime. It takes be back to my childhood, and that us a pretty incredible feat.

The Wolverine - Movie Review

I just got back from an early release screening of The Wolverine, and I couldn't be happier. For the most part, they got it right. Hugh Jackman reprises the role of the adamantium clawed title character once again, and he is simply awesome as Logan. I really believe that Jackman has become the heart of the X-Men franchise for Marvel, as his all of his appearances throughout 6 feature films have been fantastic. The guy looks the part, and his depth of range, adds a credibility to the character that draws the audience into the story. Logan is an enigma that we can't help wanting to more about. For once, this film chooses to focus on what lies ahead for Wolverine, as opposed to his past. The first Origin movie made the mistake of trying to tie up his origin story with a pretty little bow, and wound uo being campy and over the top, where as most of this film doesn't feel like a super hero movie. And, as much as I love the genre, that is a good thing.

The story begins with Wolverine in a Japanese POW camp during World War 2 where he saves the life of a Japanese Officer, Yashida. Flash Forward to present day. Wolverine is living like a hermit in the mountains, with a Mountain Man beard and wild hairdo. We soon learn that these events are taking place after the death of Jean Gray, so after X-Men: The Last Stand, which is important an important factor. Logan is still haunted by the death of Jean, and has chosen to remove himself from society, rather than be forced to continue a struggle for which he has lost his heart.
He is soon tracked down by agents of Yashida, who is now on his death bed and finds himself whisked off to Japan to pay his final respects. I was honestly expecting a lot more focus on the samurai code of honour that Wolverine follows, but instead the film bypassed that in favour of getting right down to the meat of the plot. Yashida's grand daughter, Mariko, is being threatened by the Yakuza, and Yashida himself wants to offer Logan a deal that seems to good to be true.

The action scenes in this film are fast paced, brutal and gritty. Wolerine isn't afraid to pop his claws and fricassee his opponents. After all, he is the best there is at what he does, and what he does isn't very nice.
There are a couple of sub plots that nicely tie together the uniqueness of Japanese culture, and the whole mutant influence factor, all of which lead back to the central focus, which while easily mistaken for the relationship of Logan and Mariko, is actually Logan's struggle with himself, and his acceptance of the great responsibility that comes with his particular gifts.
. I was actually kind of surprised at how little combat there was in the movie, typically wolverine is on the front lines slugging it out with the baddies, but in this film, due to certain circumstances, Jackman doesn't have the same kind of violent drive that has characterized his appearances in the other X-Men films. Don't get me wrong, there are some great fight scene, it just isn't as big a hack and slash film as I was expecting.
I was happy that The Silver Samurai made an appearance, even if I wasn't entirely thrilled with exactly how he was dealt with... I really don't want to give away too many spoilers, but I can't help myself from saying that fans of the series will need to stick around for the teaser scene buried in the credits. It is a real gem, and it gives away some key information for the Upcoming X-Men film Days of Future Past which hits theaters next season. There is one revelation in particular that will make fans of the series VERY Happy. Let the count down begin!

Kitchener/Waterloo Ribfest And Craft Beer Show...Take 2

Okay, for those of you that missed this years live tweet of the Kitchener/Waterloo Ribfest and Craft Beer Show, here is the live stream in all its glory. I may fix a few spelling errors, since I am a little more sober now...but for the most part, this is exactly how it first appeared.
The Big Day has arrived! Kitchener Ribfest and Craft Beershow! I will be live tweeting the event again this year, starting around noon!
Last year I won the sexy Broil King BBQ from 107.5 Dave FM...Who knows what could happen this year at Kitchener Ribfest and Craft Beer Show.
It has officially started! We are in a cab enroute to K/W Ribfest and Craft Beer Show.
It is on! We have arrived at K/W Ribfest!
Wristbands acquired! First beer of the day, Muskoka Brewery Summer Weiss. Light and crisp. A perfect start to the day.
Beer #2 Muskoka Brewery Cream Ale. Nutty with a smooth finish. High Tide just took the stage.
Beer #3 Steam whistle Pilsner. Hard to go wrong.
Kat, Charles, and I are in line for some Boss Hog's ribs. #perfectday
Beer #4 Nichol Brook Headstock IPA. A tart start with a delicious finish. A great patio beer.
Boss Hog's Ribs were delicious. Next stop, more beer.
Just saw a guy in a Boston Pizza Rib Camo shirt. Had a great char. #Respect #howawesomeisthat
Sent Charles on a beer run for Beer #5 Nichol Brook Naughty Neighbor APA. A nice crisp beer with nutty undertones.
Beer #6 Stone Hammer Pilsner. Fresh and Light, another perfect summer beer.
Sunshine, good friends, great food, cold beer - K/W Ribfest is a hit!
Jessica is a lady. 'Nuff said.
Beer #7 Wellington Brewery Trailhead Lager. Another crisp, clean, nutty, delicious beer.
I am now officially entered in the @DaveFM draw for a new patio set/deck/ and BBQ. Come on Golden Horse Shoe!
Kat Just brought me Beer #8 Big Rock Grasshopper Wheat Ale. Delicious, smooth, and clean.
Charles is waxing poetic on Beer Brewing...Amazing. Beer #9 Lake of Bays Crosswinds IPA. A nutty aftertaste with a hint of awesome.
Beer #10 Flying Monkey Stereophonic Wheat Beer. A solid take on a favorite style. Flying Monkey Brewery deserves full credit for this.
Charles and Jess are fetching ribs from Blazing' Big Rig while Kat and I hold down the fort. Also Alec @gobowash just arrived to join the fun.
Apparently it is Stereovision, not Stereophonic. My bad. My apologies to Flying Monkey.
Blazin Big Rig Ribs were great. Now for more beer.
Beer #11 Waterloo Brewery Pilsner. Crisp, clean, and tasty.
And the ring comes off! Damn! #Hailstorm, #Infidelity.
Beer #12 Big Rock IPA. Even better than the Grasshopper Wheat Ale. Rich and full bodied with just a hint of a nutty finish.
Beer #13 Double Trouble Brewing Prison Break Breakout Pilsner. They brew out of Guelph and have a fantastic beer.
@gobowash is now also live tweeting today's fesrivities. The City Boys from Guelph just finished their first set
. Beer #14 Amsterdamn Blonde poured my a brunette. An Amsrerdamn good beer. #kwbeerfest #perfect day, Beer #15 Flying Monkey, Smashbomb IPA. - Petrfectday.
The Batman beer utility belt is in the works. TM.
Beer #16 Stonehammer Dark Ale. Rich and Dark with a hint of chocolate undertones.
Next on the agenda, the Pepsi taste challenge! WHAT! That isn't beer...
Beer #16 Muskoka Brewery Twice as Mad as Tom IPA. A heavy IPA, with a full bodied flavour. Not for the weak hearted.
(It was at this point in the day I got a couple of different instant messages, one from as far as Halifax, informing me that I had listed two Beer #16's, so I corrected the count.)
Beer #18 Mill Street Belgian Wit. Best in Show. Hands down. Fantastic.
Thank you Lindsey McCormick for keeping me honest...18 beers deep.
In line for ribs from Kentucky Smokehouse. May be slightly hammered...hard to tell ;)
Kentucky Smokehouse "Our ribs are more tender than your mama's love.". Wow. Just Wow.
Boss Hog's takes a clean sweep. KWbeerfest.
Beer #19 Nichol Brook Bolshevik Bastard. Dark and creamy. Not my usual style, but a solid beer.
Just want to thank everyone that made it out to K/W Beer fest today. #aperfectday.
Beer #20! Lake of Bays River walker. A clean fresh taste for my penultimate beer.
Ribs from Kentucky Smokehouse were delicious, but Boss Hog's takes the cake, er, trophy.
Beer #21 is the Amsterdam Pilsner. Surprisingly, it tastes like beer. I think...;)
(This takes us right to 6pm, the end of the festival. At this point we walked back to a friends place to continue the party. I would like to assure everyone that no one in our party was driving.)
#106 Strange Street...the party continues.
#hashtag has worn out its welcome. #hashtag. Hilarity
What an awesome day with amazing people. For the rest of you, mark it in your calendar for next year. #kwribfest
#ohnoyoudidnt
#tacofarm World's best name for a lesbian bar ;)
#takeyourpantsoff...
-Thus ended our day, with all of us being safely delivered home by the worlds best designated driver. High points of the day included having multiple tweets re-tweeted by the breweries, and Impact Events Group, who organized the event. We all had a blast, and can't wait to do it again next year.

Board Game Breakdown

This post has been a long time coming...It has actually been over a month since I had a chance to sit down with friends and play test some of their amazing collection of board games. Many of which I had never encountered before. Hard core gamers will laugh at me, as apparently some of these are staples, but below are my first impressions of most of these games.

The Walking Dead: Okay, so as a huge fan of Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead in all of its various formats, I figured the board game would be pretty awesome too. While it is great to see the original artwork, and the premise is sound, the game mechanics are a little lack luster. The whole idea of the board filling with walkers as you vacate spaces is cool, but your marker moves so slowly that it takes forever to make any progress. And rolling dice to combat walkers isn't very exciting. I need to play this one again, just to see if it was over complicated because of our unfamiliarity with the rules.

Egizia: Based around the formation of early Mesopotamia, Egizia is a worker placement style of game that focus's on the acquisition of resources and then transforming those resources into early Egyptian buildings in order to score points. I think we actually played 3 games of this before we had all of the correct rules firmly established, but once we did, the game really started to tick along. There are a number of strategies that in retrospect, I can see implementing, but those first few games I tried to focus on keeping my workers fed, so as to not loose points every round. While this game is apparently out of print, it is one that I enjoyed playing.

Small World: Sort of like a fantasy version of Risk, without the tedious hours of game play, Small World has simple game mechanics, with lots of intricate specific exceptions that can be assigned to the various races that are vying for world domination. I enjoyed the fact that there were various game boards based on the number of players involved with the game, and the random power/race assignments can create some very interesting game play dynamics. Bivouacking Trolls stands out as a combination that stomped my forces flat a couple of times. The whole concept that you can take a race into decline, and choose to attempt to reconquer territories with a second, or even third army is an interesting mechanic as well. This is a game I intend to one day add to my collection.

Survive: This little gem is a race against the clock. Atlantis is sinking, and you need to attempt to evacuate your forces to neighbouring "safe islands" through shark, and leviathan infested waters before the volcano on the island erupts, killing all remaining forces, and ending the game. The game mechanics are simple, and fun, as not only are you evacuating your forces, but you can control the various antagonistic elements and sink their boats, or have sharks eat their swimming survivors. We played this game a half a dozen times, and even when one of the games degraded into "everyone gang up against me", it was a blast. This is a game that I will definitely be purchasing for myself.

Pandemic: A cooperative game, where the players work together to stop the spread of a number of deadly diseases, this is another game that I feel I need to play again in order to truely appreciate. Since I was just learning the rules, and didn't have a great grasp of the mechanics, I felt a little bit led, while having not much to contribute to the scenario. With a better understanding of the various player abilities, I believe I would have a better grasp of the severity of the implied situation, and really be able to think 2-3 turns ahead and implement a startegy as opposed to simply reacting to new developments each round.

Carcossone: A turn based tile game of Medieval land development, this is another game I have known for years. Its simple mechanics make it easily accessible to new players, and it is quick to play. Another staple in my collection.

Castle Ravenloft: A simplified version of Dungeons and Dragons, Castle Ravenloft pits a cooperative party against the undead minions of a randomized castle Ravenloft,utilizing miniatures and dictated by a layout map. While the party attempts to complete various scenarios, find the item, destroy the target, etc, they are assaulted by unrelenting wave after wave of undead minions. My first real complaint about this game is how incredibly unbalanced it is in the games favour. It is very easy to get separated from your party, and easier to get systematically surrounded and wiped out before ever coming close to completing a scenario. Also missing is the sense of accomplishment associated with traditional D&D. In D&D you typically defeat the monster, loot its treasure, gain experience points, level up - gaining new and improved skills, and then continuestaging the process with a new adventure. With Castle Ravenloft, there is no rewards to speak of, simply a continued grind through the dungeon until you achieve yournight scenario goal, or die trying, either way ending the game. Apparently there are other D&D based adventure style board games that aren't so heavily unbalanced, and I think that I would like to try one of them before returning to Castle Ravenloft.

Settlers of Catan: This just happens to be one of the games that I was very familiar with prior to these sessions, having owned a copy for many years. It has become very mainstream, and it is apparently most people's introduction to European style board games, and it remains a great game to share with new people. Even the Big Bang Theory has dropped a "I've got Wood for Sheep" reference. That never gets old.

Lords of Waterdeep: While I have already written a post about my first experience with this game I thought it was worth mentioning that Lords of Waterdeep quickly became the game of choice with this particular group of gamers. We must have played in 15 times in 3 weeks, including a 5 player speed round game that lasted exactly 35 minutes. These sessions are the reason that I now own a copy of both this game, and the brand new expansion set Scoundrels of Skullport.

There you have it. Hours spent playing great board games with a fantastic group of people. I can't wait for our next session!

Phobias...We Don't Need No Stinkin' Phobias...

Okay, so a little back story may be required for this one. I work as a Manager for a pretty big theatre production company here in Ontario. If you don't know what a stage manager does, thats okay...most people haven't got a clue. Basically, once a show is up and running, it is my responsibility to ensure that the artistic vision of the director is maintained, and that all of the technical elements of the production occur at the proper time. Lights, Sound effects, scene changes, video projections, cast entrances, even wardrobe and props all fall under my umbrella. Typically in Canadian Theatre, the Stage Manager is set up in a booth out front, watching the show. The picture above will give you a decent idea of what I see during a performance. I am also in direct contact with all of the backstage crew, and any Assistant Stage Managers working backstage via clear com headsets. Using the clear com, the stage manager leterally "calls the show", giving standby's and Go's for all of the required cues. Typically, if all goes well, the shows runs exactly the same each and every performance.
So now that you have had a brief lesson on how I do what I do, we get to the point....today not everything went according to plan...
Right after I had given a standby for a cue sequence, what I consider to be a giant spider crawled out from under my prompt script and scuttled away behind one of my computer monitors. Other than being a little freaked out, this initial discovery didn't bother me too much...while I don't like spiders or big creepy bugs of any kind...he seemed content to leave me in peace. I announced his arrival over headset, much to the enjoyment of my backstage crew, and promptly forgot about him. In the rural setting I am working in right now, bugs and creepy crawly's in the booth are basically an every day occurrence. It wasn't until a few minutes later when the little bastard reappeared and startled my video operator, Kim, that things went down hill in the booth. He quickly disappeared again, and suddenly both Kim and I were on high alert. She wouldn't put her feet on the floor, and neither of us would rest our arms on the consoles that we need to operate for the various cues in the show. Things got worse a moment later when he suddenly scuttled out from underneath the lighting board and made a creepy quick bee line for my right hand. I caught sight of him out of the corner of my eye and shrieked like a little school girl, jumping about 4" in the air straight out of my chair as I did so. Now, I have no issues admitting that I am a grown man with a fear of spiders, and while I recognize that I have no actual logical reason to fear a common garden variety spider the size of a nickel, it was such an intense and guttural reaction that I literally didn't have an ounce of control over my response. My backstage crew of course died laughing, and who can blame them? What ensued in the booth was likely pretty funny to eavesdrop in on over clear com, as Kim and I attempted to track down and kill this 8-legged menace before he could terrorize us further. We literally spent the rest of the show in full alert, attempting to chase down and exterminate the little bastard between cueing sequences. We failed. Miserably. Every time we would locate him, he would scuttle off on his 8 creepy little legs before we could send him for a dirt nap. I say we, but really it was mainly Kim trying to squash him while I attempted to keep the show running smoothly without provoking subsequent attacks. I am certain that, other than our backstage crew on headset, no one in the audience or onstage would have any idea about the epic battle being waged in the booth during the performance.
The wiley little bastard eluded us for the entire show, but luckily, at the end of the show, we were able to turn on the lights and flush something out of hiding from under my chair, where Kim quickly stomped it flat. My only concern is that the creepy crawler that she squashed may not have been the spider who had eluded us throughout today's show...in which case, he could be back tomorrow, bigger and meaner than ever....and if we are really unlucky, he will bring all his creepy little bastard friends...
I think I am going to bring a hammer along to work tomorrow to keep in the booth...just in case.

Dispicable Me 2

A friend and I took The Thief to see the latest installment of the Dispicable Me movie franchise on Sunday, and it was an absolute riot! The first thing I want to say is that this movie looked absolutely incredible. The animators have chosen to work in a rich, bold, vibrant palette of colour that just pops right off the screen and into your lap. I can only imagine that this holds even truer when seen in 3D. For a cartoon, it really is quite breath-taking, but I am gushing...so back to the other elements that make this film so good.
Steve Carell returns to voice Gru, the now reformed super-villan, who has hung up his plans for world domination to care for his three adopted daughters. Fans of the first film will appreciate the growth of the parental bond that has formed between Gru and the girls, it is very obvious that they love him dearly, and he will do anything in his power to protect them from harm, and the various evils of life, and prepubescence. Carell is a very funny guy, and the writers of this film do a great job of writing dialogue that works for his portrayal of the super villain.
The plot is fun and quirky, an entire secret lab has been stolen from the north pole, so the Anti Villain League (AVL) recruits Gru to help them track down the culprit. Gru turns them down at first, having settled down and converted his secret minion-filled laboratory into a jam and jelly factory in an effort to turn over a new leaf, but quickly realizes that he misses the excitement and sense of accomplishment of his old life. He is partnered with an Agency field operative named Lucy, voiced by Kristin Wiig.
Some of the best dialogue in the film comes from the interactions between Gru and Lucy, but the big laughs are once again supplied by the adorable minions. The sight gags that they bumble their ways into are absolutely priceless. I don't want to give too much away, so suffice it to say that hilarity ensues, again, and again, and again.
I don't remember the last time I laughed so hard at a family friendly feature, and the most amazing part about it was that my 3 year old daughter was laughing right alongside me. Mind you, we weren't always laughing at the same thing...but that is part of what makes this movie so great. There is plenty of content geared at both the adults and the children present so that there really is something for everyone.
Do yourself a favour and find a child to take to see this movie. Their laughter will keep you young, and that is well with the price of admission.

Lords of Waterdeep: A D&D based Board Game

Not that long ago I had the chance to attend a board game night and sample a bunch of really cool new games.  Today I had the opportunity to revisit the game that I was actually most impressed with.  That game was Lords of Waterdeep.
Set in the Forgotten Realms Campaign setting of Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, Lords of Waterdeep  dispenses with  all of the role playing elements of D&D in favour of a very slick, multi-turn based round centric play system.  You don't need to know anything about D&D to pick up and enjoy this game, but if you are a fan, you will appreciate a few of the finer points.
Sidebar: I played alot of D&D in Elementary and High School.  Make that that ALOT.  It was actually Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 2nd Edition, and all most exclusively set in The Realms, and while I preferred to play, I DM'd most of the campaigns that I was involved with.  I haven't played in over 12 years, mainly because I can't find a group of people with the same interests and availability.  So now that we have established that I was (am) a huge nerd, with legit nerd street cred, back to Lords of Waterdeep.

The game mechanics work like this:  Each player controls a faction of a secret society within Waterdeep, which faction you choose has no impact on game play, other than deciding the colour of your DnDeeple.  Each player also randomly selects one Lord Card that grants bonus's at the end of the game for completing specific Quest types. At the beginning of the game you have 2 agents that you can use to generate resources and complete quests.  In order to complete quests, you must first generate a supply of resources to add to your pool.  These resources include Gold, and hirelings.  Specifically you are trying to recruit followers of the 4 basic character classes: Warriors, Wizards, Clerics, and Rogues.  Each class of hireling is designated by a different coloured cube.  Resources are earned by assigning an agent to a specific location on the game board.  After an agent has been assigned and the resources collected, you have the option of completing a quest, assuming that you have the required resources.  There are different categories of quest cards, including Piety, Commerce, Warfare, Arcana, Skulldugery, and each Quest requires different resources to complete and offers different rewards.
Agents can also be assigned to build new buildings which add new and interesting elements to the game play.
There are also Intrique cards which shake things up a little bit, adding a fun and often surprising dynamic to the game play.

The artwork of the box, game board, and various cards are done by the same folks who design game supplements for the current edition of D&D, so it all feels right.  As someone who has been very immersed in Realms Lore over the years, I appreciated the short blurbs on all of the quest cards, many of which tie into well known plot points from the various Realms supplements that have been published over the years.  Of course, a player who was new to the genre wouldn't really be missing anything, as none of this affects the actual game play.
The game continues for 8 turns, and the winner is decided by a combination of total points acquired, bonus points awarded by the players secret lord, and the amount of minions, and gold remaining at the end of the game.  Today we played with 5 players,  2 of whom were new to the genre.  Everyone picked up the game play mechanics very quickly, and I think we all had a lot of fun.  Each time I have played this game I have found myself taking a very different strategy, and I enjoy the fact that, much like D&D, the game changes dramatically based on the actions of the people you are playing with.
This is a wicked board game that I will be adding to my personal collection very soon!  Especially since a little interweb research tells me that they have just published a 6 person expansion.