Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, Tomb Raider fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to year 2000 to revisit the 2nd issue of the Tomb Raider comic book series which was published through Image Comics.
In my previous retro review, the creative team smoothly and firmly established the iconic Lara Croft as an experienced treasure hunter and explorer who also knows how to negotiate with clients when it comes to high-risk tasks. In short, her debut in comics turned out very inspired by the video games and that made the Tomb Raider herself a fitting protagonist in the realm of comic books.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at Tomb Raider #2, published in 2000 by Image Comics (production work by Top Cow) with a story written by Dan Jurgens and drawn by Andy Park.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins with Lara Croft in trouble deep underwater as her oxygen line had been cut off while her yacht got badly damaged by a time bomb placed on it by unidentified operators. The wounded Lara is approached by two scuba divers responsible for the attack. As they search her for valuable items, Lara fights back against them strategically. After the two got attacked by the sharks separately, she avoids the sharks near her only to witness her yacht sink from above and on to the surface below.
Lara then begins to worry about her butler Compton…
Quality
The interactions between Lara Croft and Compton remind me a lot about Bruce Wayne (Batman) and Alfred working together.
This tale shows Lara aided by Compton (who turned out to be more than just dedicated butler) on a search not only for artifacts but also for answers and people. This is the result of the disruption caused by a gang led by Chase Carver as Lara conducted the dangerous underwater search in relation to her agreement with a dangerous client. If there is any symbolism here, it would be the unfortunate events confirming that the so-called industry on the search for artifacts is truly dangerous not only because of difficult locations to visit but also because there are powerful stakeholders who resort to violence to get ahead of other searchers. In short, the very rich Lara is destined to encounter danger as she personally engages in the searching.
Using flashbacks, Dan Jurgens inserted scenes showing readers what Lara was like when she was a young girl, who her parents are, and how involved Compton became as the family’s defender and butler. As a result, Compton here ended up looking and acting very much like Batman’s Alfred Pennyworth (butler and operator). This is not exactly problematic as having Compton allows the creators to have Lara someone to talk with and place her trust on. That being said, I can say that Lara-Compton is pretty much like Batman-Alfred.
More on the story, there is a focus on the violent competition within the world of the search for artifacts. The attack by Carver’s gang drastically altered the direction of Lara’s search which leads her and Compton to Nepal.
When it comes to spectacle, I noticed that the Jurgens-Park duo ramped up the action a lot and the violence was intensified making this tale look like an R-rated action movie. This opened a lot of opportunities for Park to draw more dynamic action shots complete with explosions. In my view, the ramped-up spectacle did not overwhelm the narrative and turned out a very generous pay-off to the build-up.
Conclusion
There is plenty of action to enjoy in this comic book.
Tomb Raider #1 (2000) is a fun read that moved the story forward while saving enough space for character exposition (the flashbacks) and spectacle. As Lara’s search for answers goes on, the suspense got built-up nicely and there were details that caught my curiosity. As of now, I am looking forward to finding out more and what would happen next.
Finally, an old wish of mine came true as GungHo Online Entertainment America, Inc. (GOEA) officially announced that the Grandia HD Collection – which contains the classic Japanese role-playing game Grandia and its sequel Grandia II – will be released on Xbox consoles on March 26, 2024. For the newcomers reading this, the said collection of the two Grandia RPGs was previously released for the Nintendo Switch and on PC in 2019. Grandia HD Collection has been listed on the Xbox store.
This surprise development is definitely much more exciting and better than Team Xbox’s releasing four Xbox-original games on PlayStation and Nintendo consoles. For your excitement and enlightenment, watch the latest Grandia HD Collection announcement and trailer below…
To understand what the collection contains, posted below is an excerpt from the official announcement by GOEA. Some parts in boldface…
The GRANDIA HD Collection features two genre-defining role-playing games: GRANDIA and GRANDIA II. These games send players on epic adventures with protagonists Justin and Ryudo, respectively, to explore the worlds of GRANDIA and protect them from the forces of evil.
Two Nostalgic Stories: Fans can follow both iconic journeys in the world of GRANDIA with various upgrades once more. Discover what lies beyond the End of the World with the young adventurer Justin in GRANDIA and, eons later, protect the world from eternal darkness with mercenary Ryudo in GRANDIA II.
Modernized Visuals: This version of GRANDIA and GRANDIA II includes enhanced UI, sprites, and texture art that brings the iconic look of the retro classics to contemporary standards, including widescreen support and visually enhanced original cinematics.
A battle from Grandia.
This is what a battle looks like in Grandia II which had fully polygonal graphics.
Classic Old-School Combat: The GRANDIA series features classic RPG combat, with physical attacks and elemental spells in a battle system that combines real-time and turn-based mechanics. The addition of Hard Mode gives players a memorable challenge as they explore the world of GRANDIA II.
Language Support: The GRANDIA HD Collection includes Japanese and English audio options, as well as language support for English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (simplified and traditional).
I am really delighted that Grandia HD Collection is coming to Xbox (note: made for the Xbox One console which is fully compatible with Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles) as I played and enjoyed the original Grandia game on PlayStation way back in 1999.
I do remember Grandia having a very imaginative fantasy world with a story cleverly structured to take players from one location to another to visit new places, meet new characters or tribes of people, and engage in quests. Playing that game was a whole lot of fun because developer Game Arts (the same team behind the Lunar RPGs) crafted a battle system that is highly playable and addicting. As I played Grandia, I saw the playable characters really develop not just with their personalities but also their battle and magic abilities.
Not only that, the music written by Noriyuki Iwadare was great to listen as I played. I also love the artistic approach applied on Grandia which had 2D sprites for the characters and monsters, nicely textured 3D polygonal environments, and very imaginative artworks (including those in animated cutscenes).
Grandia had characters and monsters in 2D sprite forms, as well as detailed textures on the 3D polygonal environment.
Of course, the many quests gradually built-up the tension of the main plot which turned out to be a grand event. Game Arts knew how to execute handsome pay-offs in relation to the build-up that preceded them. That being said, Grandia’s conclusion was really memorable to see.
If there is anything I hope to see within the Grandia HD Collection, it would be improvements on the English translation and the voice acting of the characters because the PlayStation version of Grandia that I played was lackluster with those mentioned elements. Clearly Sony Computer Entertainment (the publisher of Grandia on PlayStation) did not aim high with quality for the game’s American release.
As for Grandia II, I never got to play it as I never had a Sega Dreamcast nor a PlayStation 2 (PS2) console. I do remember some Dreamcast gamers expressing fondness and high enjoyment of the game and there were even a few who enjoyed it more than its predecessor. That being said, Grandia II’s inclusion in the Grandia HD Collection is an added incentive for me to purchase the collection for my Xbox Series X.
A mini-game in Grandia II. The sequel went all-in with 3D polygons which made it a big showcase of art and graphics on the Sega Dreamcast. The PlayStation 2 version of this game reportedly had inferior graphics.
Welcome back, fellow gamers, geeks, and Xbox fans!
If there is anything that surprised me during the 2024 Developer_Direct event of Team Xbox, it was the guest participation of Square Enix which unveiled key details about their new action role-playing game (RPG) Visions of Mana which is coming to Xbox Series X,Xbox Series S and Windows PC this coming summer season. A release date will follow.
For the newcomers reading this, Square Enix announced previously that Visions of Mana is actually a multiplatform game. When compared to Team Xbox’s first party games unveiled during the Developer_Direct – Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and Avowed – Visions of Mana is the only non-exclusive game, the only 3rd party game, the only game not coming to Xbox Game Pass (XGP) and the first-ever game from the Mana series coming to the Xbox platform.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the Developer_Direct video presentation of Square Enix with Visions of Mana. Pay close attention to the details…
For added insight, posted below are selected excerpts from the Xbox.com article about Visions of Mana for you to read. Some parts in boldface…
What is Visions of Mana? – This sprawling new single-player action RPG puts you in the shoes of Val – a curious and carefree young man and skilled fighter. One eventful night, his childhood friend is chosen as an alm – someone who must travel to the Mana Tree and rejuvenate the flow of mana power. Val joins her as the Soul Guard to protect her on her journey, and an epic adventure begins.
As Val, you’ll explore vast areas, battle monsters, gain allies, and uncover the many secrets of this expansive world. And what a world it is! As you can see from the screenshots and trailer, it’s a beautifully vibrant game with rich colors and expressive characters.
The beauty is matched by equally appealing combat. Aerial combat allows for physical and magic attacks in mid-air, and the grand and mysterious powers of the Elemental spirits can assist players in the form of specialized weapons. It’s fast-paced, strategic, and endlessly satisfying.
In short, it’s a perfect entry point for those of you yet to experience a Mana game, as it brings together everything great about this incredible series.
What is the Mana series? – The Mana games are a long-running series of fantasy RPGs that typically feature fast-paced, action-based combat, appealing visuals and music, and stories that center around themes of nature and the majestic Mana Tree.
It’s one of the most immediately enjoyable series, with exciting combat, colorful worlds, and a desire to always innovate. Here’s how Mana Series Producer Masaru Oyamada defines it:
“There are different opinions on what makes a Mana game – as the Series Creator Koichi Ishii always tries to do something new with each game after all.
Expect a lot of action and adventuring in Visions of Mana.
“I think we’ve managed to capture all of these elements in one consistent visual style for Visions of Mana, which really reflects the spirit of the series.” – Masaru Oyamada, Mana Series Producer
“But from my own perspective, I think there’s very much a distinctive Mana style that is easily recognizable to everyone. You can see it in the Tree of Mana illustrations by the great Hiroo Isono, in Mr. Ishii’s unforgettable monsters, and in the characters that inhabit these worlds.
“I think we’ve managed to capture all of these elements in one consistent visual style for Visions of Mana, which really reflects the spirit of the series.”
Each Mana game is a standalone adventure, with its own characters, stories and even gameplay mechanics. There’s rarely any narrative connection between them – instead they’re connected by elements like repeating monsters, such as the adorable rabites.
In other words, you can jump into any Mana game as if it’s your first, and Visions of Mana is no different. In fact, it’s a particularly great place to start as it’s the first entirely new mainline Mana game in more than 15 years!
Which Brings Us to Visions of Mana – Visions of Mana offers a fresh new take on the series, with large areas to explore and a rich story, all portrayed with a beautifully colorful visual style.
That was something that the team was particularly eager to capture, as Mr. Oyamada explains:
“I asked the development team to try to create character models that captured the atmosphere of character designer HACCAN’s illustrations, and experiment to see if they could make a world that incorporated the beautiful depictions of nature from the artist Mr. Hiroo Isono.
“During this process of experimentation, I also managed to secure the support from Mr. Koichi Ishii, the creator of the Mana series and designer of many of its classic monsters, asking him to oversee the updating of his past monster designs into 3D for current generation graphics. All this led to a world that I felt was recognizable at a glance as being from the Mana series.
There is a lot waiting to be discovered in locations like this in the game.
For me, Visions of Mana is a very enticing RPG that has open-world environments, nice art style and the gameplay shown looks highly playable. Even though it is not bound for Xbox Game Pass, I encourage Xbox gamers – especially those who love RPGs from Japan – to take a close look at the game and see how it would fit into their games-to-play-in-2024 list. It should be noted that Visions of Mana reflects the reinvigorated business relationship between Square Enix and Team Xbox. The more Visions of Mana sells on Xbox, the better. Lastly, if you watched Square Enix’s Developer_Direct presentation, you would have noticed the game developers/creators acknowledged the Xbox community.
Watch out for the release Visions of Mana on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and Windows PC this summer.
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from watching the film and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back, movie buffs, science fiction fans and geeks! When it comes to making remakes or reimagined versions of established movies from previous decades, the 1980s was indeed a special time to watch them. In 1986, The Fly (directed by David Cronenberg) was released and it made a tremendous impact on moviegoers in ways that the original 1958 movie did not.
Remember when The Blob was first released in 1958? That classic film (read my retro review by clicking here) went on to have a forgettable sequel released in the 1970s but got remade big time with a new version in 1988 simply titled The Blob.
The story begins in the town of Arborville where many locals attend an exciting football game. High school player Paul (Donovan Leitch, Jr.) asks cheerleader Meg (Shawnee Smith) to a date. Elsewhere, the troubled guy Briann Flagg (Kevin Dillon) fails with his attempted stunt as a result of his flawed motorcycle which was witnessed by an elderly vagabond. Flagg goes back to town and encounters the local sheriff (Jeffrey DeMunn) who warns him about trouble.
That evening at the outskirts of town, a meteorite crashes within the forest which the elderly vagabond pursues. With strong curiosity in his mind, the old man uses a stick on a sizable body of slime mold substance (the blob itself) that came out of the crashed meteor. Suddenly, the substance moves and sticks to the elderly vagabond’s hand causing him great pain.
A short time later in the forest, Brian Flagg got surprised by the sudden appearance of the vagabond who desperately tries cutting off his own hand. The blob, which Brian saw for the first time ever, attaches itself even more on the old man causing him to run away until he gets hit by a car (with Meg and Paul inside)…
Quality
The blob in this movie looks more menacing as it has a tumor look and the special effect work remains excellent to look at. You should also see the blob move and what it sounds like.
This late-1980s remake of The Blob is not only more engaging and more entertaining than its 1958 predecessor…it is easily on of the best sci-fi horror movies of the 1980s thanks to a very talented creative team led by Chuck Russell.
To begin with, Russell and Darabont (this is the same great director behind The Shawshank Redemption), crafted a very solid screenplay that used key story elements from the 1958 classic while successfully updating everything else with 1980s America (or Ronald Reagan’s America) in mind. For this version, the three leading teenagers played by Shawnee Smith, Kevin Dillon and Donovan Leitch, Jr. were relatable and clearly worth following.
(From left to right) Shawnee Smith, Kevin Dillon and Candy Clark in an early encounter with the blob.
While the 1958 movie emphasized American teenagers being disadvantaged as local adults don’t take them seriously (even though the youth knew the problem and intend to solve it), this remake moved away from the generational gap as it strongly focused more on the crisis of a fast-growing blob that simply won’t stop killing people and destroying things. In other words, this is a crisis-focused monster story that is more violent, more horrific, more action-packed and more graphic than its predecessor.
I should also state that Russell and his team established a solid structure for storytelling and the narrative flowed on a medium-to-fast pace. As this movie has more spectacle in terms of action, monster moments and the like, the creative team carefully balanced the fun stuff with the dramatic and exposition scenes smoothly.
If you see people wearing protective suits arriving in your community and implementing a lockdown, you know a crisis is in effect.
The cast here is solid! Shawnee Smith’s Meg is the sweet, young good-natured high school girl who is willing to not only survive but also take part in solving the crisis situation not for herself but for her family and the entire Arborville community. Meg has some common elements with that of the character Sarah Connor from The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day. I also love the fact that there is NO WOKENESS and NO RABID FEMINIST VALUES in Meg. Kevin Dillon’s Brian – the troubled youth – is clearly the 2nd lead and he does a good job dramatizing how his character changes from a guy of uncertainty into an actual doer whose efforts proved to be valuable. There definitely is a non-romantic chemistry between Meg and Brian as the crisis situation really brought out solid transformations from them respectively.
The supporting cast is really good too. Candy Clark’s Fran is the relatable community diner owner/manager who contributed nicely to the plot as well as the early showdown of the blob. Jeffrey DeMunn’s sheriff is the local law enforcer who has to deal with the local situations while tackling the challenges of his leadership post. Paul McCrane here plays a local cop who is tough but not necessarily abusive, and this is the same guy who played a very vicious bad guy in 1987’s RoboCop! Joe Seneca is the government scientist who has charisma and deception carefully blended together which added to the plot. You will even see Erika Eleniak in a very small and yet notable appearance that happens to involve the blob. This film has a really interesting cast and I encourage you to research the names mentioned here.
This remake is loaded with action scenes, stunts and incredible visual effects!
On the technical side of things, I really like the cinematography done by Mark Irwin as the visuals captured looked really detailed and clear even during the dark or night-time scenes. The music by Michael Hoenig was pretty good too and his tunes ranged nicely from creepy to sentimental and energetic which reflected the scenes. As for the design of the blob, Lyle Conway deserves the credit for making it very monstrous. As for the physical environment of the movie, the state of Louisiana turned out to be a great location and the real-life Louisiana town Abbeville added strongly to the small town concept of the story.
As mentioned earlier, this version has a lot more spectacle to enjoy. For one thing, there is a good amount of hard action, gunfire and stunts which really added to the excitement (on top of the suspense and horror scenes already implemented). Rest assured, you will not get bored at all when watching this.
Shawnee Smith is the protagonist in this movie and her performance is very memorable.
The highlight of the spectacle is the very blob itself which looks so much like a tumor (instead of the jello form in the 1958 version) and the credit goes to the visual effects, sound effects and the animation team behind it all. Compared to its counterpart in the 1958 film, the blob here is very monstrous and horrifying to watch and the way it got animated is excellent. Apart from being unrelenting, this blob is deadlier and even intelligent. Not only does the blob devour the living which adds to its tremendous growth of size and mass, it also has the ability to extend tentacles which added more to the danger. Thanks to the sound effects, the blob is believably animalistic.
Through the blob’s on-screen presence, you can see the hard work implemented by the special effects crew when showing the monster entirely move and devour people, when showing its flexibility on adjusting its size (or its parts) when entering new places through tight spots, and most notably, how the blob alters the flesh of the victims it touches which resulted in very horrifying visuals. The special effects team really excelled with the use of practical effects (read: no computer-generated images) on presenting the titular monster. This is indeed a special effects extravaganza that a lot of people are missing out on.
Conclusion
The Blob (1988) looks and sounds better than ever in 4K Blu-ray format. I highly recommend this version as it is so much better than streaming.
There is no doubt in my mind that The Blob (1988) is a great sci-fi horror film that has a more menacing monster complete with sufficient action, great visual effects and a pretty solid cast! This is indeed a great example of a how a remake of an established film from the past should be done and this also includes raising the stakes within the story, modernizing past cinematic elements and ensuring high entertainment value. What director Russell, his team and the cast collectively achieved is indeed a creative success and this is the kind of film that Commie-filled Hollywood (Commiewood) today does not want to make.
As a companion piece to The Blob (1958), this remake has the good stuff that people who love horror, science fiction, action and monsters will enjoy.
Of all the many movies I have seen, The Blob (1988) stands out as one of the best remakes ever made as well as one of the best mixed-genre movies of its decade as well as of all time. That being said, today is a great time to watch this movie with better-than-ever visuals and sounds through its 4K Blu-ray release (pictured above) which is now available (you can order it online now). There is also a lot of features and extra stuff with the 4K Blu-ray. Make no mistake, The Blob (1988) is great to watch and its replay value is pretty high.
Welcome back, fellow gamers, geeks, and Xbox fans!
Recently Team Xbox had its promised Developer_Direct video presentation which emphasized Xbox-exclusive games, a certain upcoming game from Square Enix (a special guest participant in the presentation) and a PC game.
One of the highlighted exclusive games was Indiana Jones and the Great Circle which is being made by MachineGames (a Bethesda game studio) for release on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Windows PC and Xbox Game Pass (XGP) in the later part of 2024. The final release date will be announced some time later.
For starters, watch the official gameplay reveal trailer of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle as well as the Developer_Direct presentation of the game by MachineGames below…
Now, you can read more information about the game straight from Bethesda.net with the selected excerpt below. Some parts in boldface…
Set between “Raiders of the Lost Ark™” and “The Last Crusade™”, Indiana Jones and The Great Circle is a first-person, single-player adventure that will take you all over the world, uncovering clues and solving an ancient mystery. Become the adventurer in a race against sinister forces. Your journeys will take you from the hallowed halls of the Vatican and the arid deserts of Egypt to the lush and sunken temples of Sukhothai and the frigid peaks of the Himalayas.
“Our game is about putting you in the shoes of an iconic hero,” says Design Director Jens Andersson. “Since we are doing this mostly in first-person, you have the chance to truly become Indy. First-person makes you part of this world – allowing you to explore and experience things more intimately. What will you do when you’re dropped into this adventure with your wits and your whip? The world of Indiana Jones is a world with mysteries around every corner, where you’re racing against the clock and outsmarting your enemies as you hunt down artifacts.”
From their approach to crafting unique and believable stories and characters, to their over-the-top and unforgettable set pieces, MachineGames is the perfect studio to bring Indiana Jones to modern gaming.
“It’s like two pieces of a puzzle that just fit so well together,” says Senior Animator Rebecca Elfstrӧm Hidén. “We have big, sometimes crazy ideas that seem insane on paper, but they meshed really well with the franchise. You’ve got this amazing adventure that digs into the heart of the character and shines a light on all the things that made people fall in love with him in the first place, and then you’ve got these big, complex set pieces that just fit really well in there. Our DNA and the pillars of Indiana Jones just came together so naturally.”
Indiana Jones and his companion Gina travel to a new destination. MachineGames confirmed that there will be a variety of locations in the game set in different parts of the world.
I also like the fact that the developers implemented the likeness of Harrison Ford for Indiana Jones as well as that of the late actor Denholm Elliott as Marcus Brody. These visual presentations seem to show that MachineGames decided to move closer to the way George Lucas and Steven Spielberg presented the cinematic icon decades ago.
The first-person action scenes as well as puzzle solving are impressive to look at. We will find out soon enough how fun and immersive the first-person view experience will be.
As for the gameplay footage shown, I am very impressed seeing how playable the game is looking with the first-person view implemented within the concept of Indiana Jones adventuring. The whip action shown looks really creative and the game also allowed for stealth gameplay and puzzle solving with the immersive first-person view (which alternates with third-person view for sequences that allowed gamers to see Indiana Jones in full form). For the newcomers reading this, MachineGames is responsible for several Wolfenstein and Quake games over the years and this Indiana Jones game clearly compelled them to be creative with the first-person view and game functions.
Watch out for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Windows PC and Xbox Game Pass later this year.
Starfield, the epic sci-fi role-playing game (sci-fi RPG) from Bethesda Game Studios (Oblivion, Skyrim and Fallout 4), tremendously boosted the sales of Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S (including the newer version) in the United Kingdom (UK) shortly after its very strong launch there, according to a report published by GamesIndustry.biz. Also available on Windows PC and Windows PC plus Xbox Game Pass (XGP), it is not surprising to see many gamers making decisions to buy the game brand new which helped it top the UK software sales chart.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the GamesIndustry.biz report. Some parts in boldface…
The launch of Starfield and a new version of the Xbox Series S significantly boosted sales of Microsoft consoles.
GfK data reveals that Xbox Series S and X sales jumped 76% week-on-week for the seven days ending September 2nd.
GfK games boss Dorian Bloch says that the week is the biggest this year (so far) for Xbox Series S and X hardware sales in the UK. Meanwhile, the week ending September 9th is currently the second best week.
This was partially due to the launch of the new Xbox Series S 1TB edition, which accounted for 24% of all Xbox consoles sold during that week. The new version of Xbox Series S is roughly £50 more expensive than the standard Series S model.
Starfield is filled with a lot of quests, activities, exploration and sci-fi action that really engaged millions of people worldwide as I write this. The scope of the game is very immense.
But the jump in Xbox console sales was also due to the launch of Starfield. The Bethesda game officially launched on September 6th, but it was available on September 1st to those who were willing to pay for the Premium Edition. As a result, the standard Xbox Series X console posted a 46% increase in sales for the week ending September 2nd in the UK.
“It is currently the best week this year for Series X,” Bloch says. “And the following week [ending September 9th] is the fourth best for X. In-between is week one and week six, which were early year blips.”
Bloch says that the Xbox consoles overall had a decent showing for the week ending September 9th, with the new Series S 1TB model accounting for 20% of sales.
As mentioned earlier, Starfield is also a software sales success in the UK which GamesIndustry.biz also reported separately. Check out the excerpt below…
Starfield has topped the UK physical charts this week.GfK’s report showed that the space-action RPG sold more physical copies on Xbox than it did on PC.
Sarah Morgan is one of the key characters in Starfield. Interacting with her added a lot to the gameplay and engagement. Take note that Morgan is just one of the Constellation characters you will interact with.
Starfield’s premium upgrade (a box with a code that provided early access to the digital version) has fallen to No.34 after debuting at No.7 last week. This version experienced a 71% decrease in sales due to the game’s wider release on September 6.
As confirmed by the news above, the Xbox-exclusive Starfield succeeded big-time at retail in the UK and as Bethesda’s biggest launch of all-time (on a worldwide scale). Think deeply about those huge achievements that were realized without PlayStation at all. While lots of gamers in the UK spent a lot of money on the sci-fi RPG and Xbox Series consoles, there are also many Starfield players enjoying it on Xbox Game Pass. In fact, a lot of XGP subscribers paid for the early access to the game and that only showed how heavily anticipated Starfield really is as Bethesda’s newest intellectual property (IP). Apart from that, there is still a long way to go before the month of September 2023 ends.
The way the Xbox-exclusive game is succeeding as I write this, it is very likely that Starfield will grow into a franchise of in-depth RPGs in the years to come. Like Halo and the Forza Motorsport, Starfield will be an Xbox-exclusive franchise of games that fans and RPG-loving gamers can look forward to.
Even without PlayStation, Starfield became a massive success at launch in terms of software sales, Xbox Game Pass subscriptions and Xbox hardware sales.
On my part, I have been playing Starfield on my Xbox Series X for more than a week now and the more I played it, the more enjoyable and even intriguing the gameplay experience turned out to be. There is just so much to have fun with this sci-fi RPG and by now, I have gotten myself more oriented with the user interface and the functions laid out.
With regards to the shooting (specifically with on-foot activities), the precision and response here are comparable with those in Fallout 4. Flying spaceships and using the controls for flight and weapons are really good and responsive enough.
While I won’t be spoiling plot details here, I can say that the gameplay experience has been pretty varied when I do the main quests, side quests, activities and when I freely explore the many in-game environments from one planet to another across different star systems. Check out the images and their descriptions below…
There is nothing like spotting Ecliptic mercenaries marching together in the middle of nowhere followed by my character and companion taking them out by surprise. If you encounter a random situation like this, engage with it.
I love the high-level of visual details as well as the impressive physics Bethesda prepared for space battles.
After defeating several armed bad guys and some dangerous turrets at a very discreet location, I got myself a brand new space ship! I now have four space ships as of this writing!
There is nothing like being able to board an enemy space ship, defeating all the bad guys and taking the valuables (including the opportunity to claim the ship as your own if your pilot skill is high enough). Starfield allows such opportunities to happen during space ship battles. Don’t just focus on destroying the enemy ship entirely as you will miss out on the opportunity to board it.
Starfield is very enjoyable and I believe that it still has a lot more to offer. I finished several side quests and activities, and still there is a lot more to discover and engage with! Of all the Xbox-exclusive games released in this current console generation, Starfield is already the most engaging one I have been playing, even more so than Halo Infinite.
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from watching the movie Cloak & Dagger (1984) and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back my readers, fellow movie buffs and 20th century pop culture enthusiasts! Decades ago, I got to watch the movie Cloak & Dagger when it was first released on home video. As time passed by, I got to replay it on cable TV and DVD. I have yet to see its 4K Blu-ray disc version (note: you can order it here) Starring Henry Thomas (the star of Steven Spielberg’s E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial) and Dabney Coleman, Cloak & Dagger was one of those American movies that did not succeed in movie theaters but found its audience on home video, cable TV and free TV.
The 1984 movie was released at a time when video games gradually made its way into motion pictures in varied ways just before Nintendo started reshaping video gaming. Back then, I was very young and already got into playing games on console and at the arcade which helped me relate with the video game elements of Cloak & Dagger. In case you are wondering, the filmmakers and Atari, Inc. itself collaborated together. There may be some among you who never saw this 1980s flick and some of you may be wondering what is significant about Cloak & Dagger and why is it the topic of this retro movie review.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at Cloak & Dagger (1984) directed by Richard Franklin and written by Tom Holland and Nancy Dowd inspired by the short story “The Boy Cried Murder” written by Cornell Woolrich. This movie is the 4th cinematic adaptation of the said short story.
The movie poster of Cloak & Dagger (1984)
Early story
The story begins with Jack Flack (Dabney Coleman) overcoming Soviet guards to enter a place to retrieve top secret documents from incoming people. It turns out that Jack Flack is nothing more than a fictional character imagined by a young boy named Davey (Henry Thomas) who keeps on immersing himself with flights of fantasies, loves playing games and believes that real life is filled with enough opportunities and places to play. In the presence of game store owner Morris (William Forsythe) and his little blonde neighbor Kim (Christina Nigra), Davey boasts a lot about Jack Flack as if he was a real-life hero and even talks to him as his imaginary companion that no one else could see nor hear. Inspired by the said character and the world of espionage he always imagined, the boy carries with him a black water pistol for a “gun” and a softball for a “grenade”.
Morris then sends Davey and Kim out to do a real assignment – an errand to travel within the city going to a certain company and retrieve something for him. Afterwards, the two commuted and entered a building which Davey does with his fantasy of espionage and infiltration burning in his mind. Leaving Kim on the ground floor, he climbs up the stairs until he reaches a certain window and sees something sinister going on in the next level as reflected on one of the windows outside.
Suddenly a door opens near him and a wounded man slowly hands him an Atari 5200 cartridge titled Cloak & Dagger, tells him to bring it to the FBI, and mentions “one million three hundred twenty nine.”
The door near them suddenly opens with two armed men emerging. Right in the presence of Davey, they opened fire at the wounded man who fell down to his death. Davey just became the witness of an actual murder and becomes the target of the two gunmen…
Quality
Henry Thomas and Christina Nigra as Davey and Kim respectively.
To get to straight to the point, I can declare that this movie is very clearly a spy thriller designed to engage both children and adults. It took the key concept of the short story “The Boy Cried Murder” and implemented it into its very own tale that happens to be set during Ronald Reagan’s America (the 1980s) with elements of video games, espionage and even murder mixed together.
The story told through Davey was crafted to be entertaining while keeping viewers in suspense as to how the overly imaginative young boy would deal with real-life danger and consequences as he became the target of murderous men who would not stop at all. Davey is clearly in danger for much of the movie and you will get to sympathize with him and wish he should stop being obsessed with fantasy so he could overcome the trials that were happening. This is, indeed, a well structure and nicely directed work by Richard Franklin who seem to be inspired by past works of Alfred Hitchcock (note: Franklin directed the sequel to Hitchcock’s classic Psycho).
As mentioned earlier, this movie was made to engage both children and adults. Cloak & Dagger is not exactly a wholesome viewing experience as its presentation has always been quite intense because of on-screen violence that was executed carfully. There are guns, shooting and even killing in this flick which proved to be integral to the overall presentation and clearly added to the thrill factor. You will get to see getting Davey shot at by the armed henchmen (Eloy Casados and Tim Rossovich) who clearly do not give a damn of shooting a minor as they are so focused on their mission. Looking at the henchmen in this film, I can imagine them as traitorous Americans conspiring with their nation’s foreign enemies such as the Soviets, the Iranians and the Palestinians. Along the way, there is the clear villain named Rice (Michael Murphy) who has this subtle touch of evil as well as a good amount of sleaziness in him. While the violence is intense, it does not necessarily push this film into rated R territory.
Michael Murphy as the sleazy villain who is willing to kill Davey even though he is a minor.
The two henchmen about to commit murder in the presence of Davey. There is evil visible in their faces.
Henry Thomas really shines as the protagonist here. While Davey here shares a few elements with E.T.’s Elliot – struggling to move forward with the absence of one parent and adjusting his life with what he perceives to be the best ways possible – he truly dramatizes how weird and wild he could be living his life with a very loose grip on reality. For him, local society in San Antonio, Texas, provides him a huge playground for his spy game and he sure distracts people as he walks by them talking to his imaginary friend Jack Flack. Still, there are key parts of the story in which Henry Thomas convincingly dramatizes Davey who feels lonely inside as he misses his late mother and is unable to spend quality time with his father. Thomas also acted with intensity in the scene in which he makes a trade with the villain and also during his last face-off with him in the 2nd half of the film. Henry Thomas really was a good youth actor and his performance here is often overshadowed by his role in Spielberg’s E.T.
Dabney Coleman on the other hand plays both Jack Flack and Davey’s father Hal. Coleman is quite versatile playing different characters here. As Jack Flack, he fits in excellently into Davey’s uncontrolled belief of espionage as he gives him advise which were taken seriously leading into danger. Of course, advising Davey does not really mean the fictional spy cares for him on a personal level and you will eventually Flack’s true value before the film ends. Flack’s final moments could inspire you to re-examine the true meaning of heroism. As Hal, Coleman convincingly plays the father who has been so busy working in the Air Force as an air traffic controller, he has been unable to spend quality time with his son and the recent death of his wife really took its toll on their family. Compared to Jack Flack, Hal is indeed caring towards his son but his hectic work schedule prevents him from bonding closely with him. Coleman delivered a fine performance during the scene when Hal explains to Davey what real-world heroism is and that not all heroes just shoot bad guys. There definitely are helpful values on parenting within Hal.
Henry Thomas and Dabney Coleman are really convincing as son and father.
Thomas and Coleman artistically have really fine chemistry together as the father and son (Hal and Davey) and as the wannabe adventurer spending lots of time with his action hero (Davey and Jack Flack). Considering Davey’s obsession with fantasy and the attention he pays so much to Jack Flack, he was practically living with idolatry and foolishness. If you observe closely, Davey is very lively with Flack and not so lively with his father.
Even though this movie is fictional, it still dramatizes that parenting will never be easy. That being said, this should inspire parents and also incoming parents to prepare themselves on nurturing their children and ensure they help them understand the differences between reality and fantasy.
Video game elements
Screenshot from the Cloak & Dagger arcade game. This game can be played nowadays through Antstream Arcade on Xbox consoles.
To make things very clear, Cloak & Dagger (1984) is not an adaptation of the electronic game that was released the same year. Rather it has the Cloak & Dagger game as a key plot element in the form of an Atari 5200 game cartridge (referred to as a “tape”) which the movie dramatizes to be real.
As a kid, I got to play arcade and console games a lot. As such, seeing Davey play the Cloak & Dagger game on his Atari 5200 as well as gameplay footage was a very entertaining viewing experience for me the first time I ever saw this movie. It was a scene I personally related with.
In real life, however, the Cloak & Dagger game from Atari, Inc. was released only in the arcades as the efforts to create a port for the Atari 5200 never got fulfilled. That being said, it was through very clever film editing that video footage of the arcade version were inserted into the scene in which Davey played the Cloak & Dagger cartridge on his console in the presence of his father. To clarify things, the Atari 5200 was a commercial failure in real life and it seems that making a console version of the arcade game did not make business sense to Atari, Inc. at all.
If you want to play the Cloak & Dagger arcade game in your home right now, you will need an Xbox console and Antstream Arcade ($30 for 1-year subscription, $80 for lifetime pass). Cloak & Dagger is just one of over a thousand games available through Antstream Arcade and you can learn more by clicking here and here.
Conclusion
Henry Thomas as an armed Davey.
I have seen Cloak & Dagger (1984) many times throughout my life from childhood and to adulthood. I can clearly say that this 1980s movie is still really good to watch as its appeal to both children and adults remains strong and intact. It is a medium-paced spy thriller that not only follows a young boy who witnesses and murder and gets into danger (note: even his neighbor gets involved) but also dramatizes (in entertaining ways) how dangerous situations can get when you are living with uncontrolled personal fantasy and interacting with a heroic friend who does not really exist. Considering the time this movie was released, I am delighted to tell you cautious readers that there definitely is no wokeness nor were there any traces of political correctness that got in the way of its presentation. Going back to the parenting aspect of this film, it is made clear that children need their parents for moral support and there is absolutely no way that games, fictional heroes and geek culture could ever be good alternatives. Like the adults, children should never lose their grip on reality and should be taught that uncontrolled fantasy can lead to real-life danger. Very clearly, director Richard Franklin and the crew did a fine job telling a solid story and emphasizing the main characters while also providing suspense, action and thrills.
Considering all the mixed elements it has, Cloak & Dagger (1984) can be engaging towards parents, their children, fans of espionage and people who love video games. Finally, I should state that the City of San Antonio in the Lone Star State of Texas is indeed a great location for filmmaking and viewing.
Recently as Team Xbox announced the July 2023 lineup of games added on the Xbox Game Pass (XGP) subscription service, the inclusion of the massive best-selling open-world game Grand Theft Auto V (GTAV) turned out to be the biggest surprise of them all.
Franklin traveling on waves. This entire sequence ran smoothly at 60FPS with ray tracing enabled.
To be very clear, this is not GTAV’s first time to be in XGP. In fact, it was made available to Xbox Game Pass subscribers in limited time periods in 2020 and 2021. In my case, since I bought my Xbox Series X console and subscribed to XGP in late-2021, this is my first time to play GTAV on the service and the first time in years for me to replay the game since the Xbox One version. Oh yes, I first played GTAV on Xbox 360 way back in 2013.
What makes GTAV’s newest return to the service significant is that it includes the most updated versions of the game optimized specifically for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. This means that the next-generation console graphical enhancements include the Fidelity Mode, the Performance Mode and the Performance RT Mode, and only the Xbox Series X is capable of those three. Refer to the details below sourced from GINX.TV
GTA 5 Fidelity Mode – The highest visual quality possible and targets 30 fps. PS5 and Xbox Series X supports native 4k resolution in this mode with Ray Tracing enabled. Xbox Series S supports upscaled 4K resolution.
GTA 5 Performance Mode – Performance Mode in targets 60 fps for the most responsive, smoothest gameplay experience yet on PS5 and Xbox Series X, with an upscaled 4K resolution. Xbox Series S, on the other hand, supports a resolution of 1080p in Performance Mode targetting 60 fps.
GTA 5 Performance RT Mode – The Performance Ray Tracing Mode is only available for PS5 and Xbox Series X, and is not supported on the Series S console. This is a hybrid between the Performance and Fidelity modes. It targets 60 fps with Ray Tracing enabled, with an upscaled 4K resolution to boot.
This huge crash happened during one of the scores in the game. Captured on Performance RT Mode.
That being said, I started playing Grand Theft Auto V on my Xbox Series X via XGP with the Performance Mode setting for the graphics followed many hours later with the Performance RT (ray tracing) Mode.
As such, I am enjoying replaying the game with super smooth 60 frames-per-second (60FPS) and I can say it made the single-player gameplay experience more fun and engaging to do. Since I enjoy the 60FPS frame rate a lot, I will play the game with the Fidelity Mode some time later.
With Starfieldand Forza Motorsport (2023) launching on Xbox Game Pass this September and October respectively, playing GTAV on the service with the Xbox Series X console is strongly recommended. That being said, there is no telling how long with Rockstar’s game remain on XGP. If you are already an XGP subscriber with an Xbox Series X console and you love open-world games, then you should avail of Grand Theft Auto V while it is still available. Xbox Series S-owning XGP subscribers can still enjoy 60FPS gaming with the Rockstar game.
Go and play Grand Theft Auto V on your Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S console while it is still available on XGP.
In concluding this post, posted below are Xbox-related videos for your enjoyment.
Welcome back, fellow geeks, Blu-ray collectors and movie buffs! As you may have noticed, I am a 4K Blu-ray movie collector and I can say that I really am enjoying watching movies in 4K at the comfort of home with my Xbox Series X console as the 4K Blu-ray player.
When it comes to watching my favorite movies with the best possible video and audio qualities, I always had a grand time replaying Total Recall (1990) on 4K Blu-ray, and I can say the same with replaying the greatest Hollywood action movie ever made – Die Hard (1988)!
This is my copy of Die Hard 4K Blu-ray.
Back in 2021, I bought myself the 4K Blu-ray copy of Die Hard even though I already have the Blu-ray (1080p) copy. I simply wanted the best possible visuals and home entertainment experience of the classic movie that starred Bruce Willis and was directed by John McTiernan. In my life, I was fortunate to watch Die Hard in the local cinema here in the Philippines way back in 1988 and it was indeed the most thrilling in-theater experience I had as the film drew lots of reactions from all the moviegoers around me (note: this includes a standing ovation during the final conflict between John McClane and Hans Gruber) and its presentation turned out great. Simply put, Die Hard is one of my favorite movies all of time and the greatest Hollywood action movie of all.
As for Die Hard 4K Blu-ray itself, it came with the 4K Blu-ray disc, the Blu-ray disc and the digital code. I bought it online with a huge discount. Oh yes, the visuals were in native 4K resolution which I always preferred.
To put things in perspective, posted below are the technical details of Die Hard 4K Blu-ray as displayed on its Blu-ray.com page.
Video
Codec: HEVC / H.265 (49.50 Mbps)
Resolution: Native 4K (2160p)
HDR: HDR10
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Audio
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: DTS 5.1
Spanish: DTS 5.1
German: DTS 5.1
Italian: DTS 5.1
Czech: Dolby Digital 2.0
Polish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Japanese: DTS 5.1
Subtitles – English SDH, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Cantonese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Mandarin (Traditional), Norwegian, Polish, Swedish
Discs – 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray Disc, Two-disc set (1 BD-66, 1 BD-50)
Digital – Digital copy expired, Movies Anywhere
Packaging – Slipcover in original pressing
Playback –4K Blu-ray: Region free, 2K Blu-ray: Region A
The Blu-ray disc, the 4K Blu-ray disc and the paper for the digital copy.
In my experience watching Die Hard on 4K Blu-ray disc, I noticed there were indeed visual improvements here and there. The film was remastered in 4K and it maintained the cinematic look precisely while it had assorted visual upgrades along the way. There was also a noticeable noise reduction on moments of intense brightness, particularly the explosions (note: they are longer overly bright and their precise colors and shapes became visible) and the fluorescent lights. I also enjoyed how the colors were improved and with the improvements on clarity, the tiny visuals details that were not visible on other formats became visible in 4K.
In connection to the improved visuals, watching Bruce Willis looking so much younger and with a full head of hair turned out to be unique part of the viewing experience. Oh yes, Alan Rickman as Gruber in a fancy looking suit looks better than ever in 4K!
Indeed, watching Die Hard 4K Blu-ray is the best and definitive way to enjoy the 1988 action classic at home. Don’t settle for streaming nor the 1080p Blu-ray nor DVD. Die Hard 4K Blu-ray is the best! If you don’t have it yet in your 4K Blu-ray collection, go for Die Hard 4K Blu-ray while it is still available and currently discounted!
Welcome back, fellow geeks, Blu-ray collectors and movie buffs! Long before he went all-in with digital filmmaking and made the Avatar movies, James Cameron made a huge impact in the sci-fi action genre with the use of practical effects when they were still the standard in Hollywood filmmaking.
After making waves with The Terminator in 1984, Cameron went on to make the sequel Alienswhich became a huge success and remains a fine example of how to do sequels. To be very clear, the production of Aliens (which starred Sigourney Weaver who returned as Ellen Ripley) has a very detailed and colorful history about notable twists in Hollywood that connect it with The Terminator. As Arnold Schwarzenegger worked on a Conan sequel, production of The Terminator got delayed and along the way, Cameron – who got involved in the Alien sequel – used the extra time to make the script for Aliens (note: working title was Alien II) which was 90 pages long. That script was submitted to Fox’s then new president Larry Gordon who loved it and agreed to wait until Cameron completed The Terminator just so that he could direct Aliens.
Aliens was released in cinemas in 1986 and went on to gross over $130 million worldwide while winning mostly positive feedback from movie critics. When the film was shown on TV in 1989, a modified cut with additional scenes were shown. In 1991, the extended cut of Aliens was released on LaserDisc format and it was 20 minutes longer than the theatrical version.
In the year 2016, the 30th anniversary celebration of the movie happened with the release of a commemorative and feature-loaded Blu-ray and it contained the movie’s two cuts!
Aliens 30th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray.
On face value, the Aliens 30th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray is quite enticing to both movie fans and collectors as it contains the following content:
Theatrical Version and Special Edition of the movie (2 cuts)
NEW The Inspiration and Design of Aliens featurette
Deleted and Extended Scenes
Superior Firepower: Making Aliens
Superior Firepower: Making Aliens Enhancement
Pre-Production Galleries
The Art of Aliens
Gateway Station and Colony
Vehicles and Weapons
Aliens
Casting
Cast Portrait Gallery
Deleted Scene Montage
Look at all that stuff you will get with Aliens 30th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray! (photo source – Blu-ray.com)
Personally, I love watching Aliens which in my view is among the very best works of James Cameron and also the best movie of the entire Alien/Aliens film franchise. Through the decades I saw both the theatrical version and the special edition on different formats from video tape to LaserDisc, DVD and cable TV. The movie has Sigourney Weaver’s finest performance; a story that was crafted with a lot of inspiration; it has great action scenes, stunts and a very clever presentation of showing the Xenomorphs; it has very engaging music by the late James Horner; it has several moments of suspense that effectively served as build-ups for the action or intense pay-offs that followed; it has great creature effects by Stan Winston which proved to be an evolution of H.R. Giger’s designs; the Alien Queen was made possible by James Cameron and Stan Winston and ultimately became an essential addition into the Alien/Aliens lore; and ultimately this film moved the entire Alien/Aliens movie franchise forward creatively while respecting what was established in the first movie of 1979 (directed by Ridley Scott, written by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett).
Aliens also serves as a lively look back at the actors who made nice contributions. There was the late Bill Paxton who went on to appear in more films directed by James Cameron. There was The Terminator actor Michael Biehn who joined the film as a replacement. Lance Henriksen, who also appeared in The Terminator, played the new android Bishop which led to further appearances in two other films of the Alien film franchise.
As much as I love the movie, I have yet to acquire the Aliens 30th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray. In the back of my mind, a 4K Blu-ray release of Aliens could be announced suddenly and I have preference for 4K Blu-ray viewing. Be aware that already there is a 4K Blu-ray version of Alien in the market and even the hugely disappointing prequel Alien Covenant has a 4K Blu-ray release. With the woke Disney company in control of 20th Century Fox, there is no telling when will Aliens have a 4K Blu-ray version.
To know more about Aliens, watch the following videos below…
Author Carlo Carrasco 