Wrestlevania

Do you have to pay for any damages caused during a test drive?

Does this work in real life? I need something to liven up the commute home...

Great article; I've blogged my response.

I read many of the previews for TDU and got quite excited about it. Unfortunately the end reviews kind of deflated my enthusiasm for the game - especially as a major novelty factor is the online stuff, which I'm not hugely fussed about at the moment. I think I'll give it a miss until it comes out on budget release for 360, and I've renewed my Live Gold subscription. It's good to read a "real-world" review though, especially now that the game's been around for a while.

Going on that tiny snippet alone, it looks very similar to Skies of Arcadia. Which is no bad thing. And you're right; the graphics do look very good.

JB's video diaries for Nacho Libre also featured skits of Jack discussing various DS and PSP games, and the pros and cons of either machine too.

Remember, Perverts: Don't Fiddle And Drive

Impressive. I was already of the impression that JB knows his video games, but this confirms it.

Meant to add in here that I finally got around to watching Collateral on Monday night this week. Really disappointed with the end result. Beautifully directed by Michael Mann (it's always a treat to watch his films), the acting is really crappy across the board. Cruise is two-dimensional and weedy as supposedly-hardboiled professional killer Vincent, and Fox is faltering and inconsistent as day-dreaming washup Max. The writing is also weak throughout, with this seemingly being a vehicle to prove that Cruise is "down with a brother". And yes, I'm surpressing a gag reflex just typing that--it's even worse when watching the actual film. On an entirely more positive note, another film I watched at long last was Sexy Beast. Ray Winstone plays "retired" mob heavy Gal, who has emigrated to Spain with his ex-hardcore pornstar wife Deedee (Amanda Redman). Gal has not long finished a 9-year prison sentence, the result of his last job for crime boss Teddy (Ian McShane) going wrong--and Gal taking the fall for it. The story kicks off proper when Gal and Deedee learn that Teddy has despatched his right-hand psychopath, Don (Ben Kingsley), to recruit Gal for a new job back in the UK. They both know Don won't take "no" for an answer and life rapidly unravels from that point onwards. Sexy Beast is dark, grim and about the best of British mainstream cinema. There's a dissapointingly thin amount of backstory proffered for each of the key characters, but you get the impression that this has been done to encourage the viewers imagination more than anything else, whilst cleanly - and deliberately - dodging the cinematically-beaten-to-death flashback clichés. Even so, the story is excellent and really sucks you in. The cinematography is equally absorbing; you can feel the pavement-splitting heat of the Spanish sun during the opening scenes, and the freezing British night later on in the film. The acting throughout is superb, too. McShane is evil, devious and utterly corrupt, whilst Kingsley is frighteningly unstable and malicious. Winstone also plays his character with convincing fragility, desperate to leave the couple's torrid history firmly back in England, and in the past. One of my most favourite aspects of Sexy Beast, though, is the soundtrack. The bespoke (and most outstanding) stuff was written and performed as a collaboration between DJ Shadow-era UNKLE and South. It's crisp, crackling and full of menace. It also fits the few scenes where it's actually used brilliantly, adding extra depth and texture. So if you've still not seen it yet, rent Sexy Beast.

Looks flocking brilliant.

Likewise, but about midway through Season 2. Mrs V. and I watched all of it up to that point, but lost (ah ha ha ha!) interest when the Abominable Black Swamp Gas started eating people. I struggled on a bit futher on my own, but really couldn't be fagged to keep up. Then we cancelled our satellite TV subscription and I certainly wasn't interested in sourcing it via "other means". We both watched all of BSG up to the end of Season 1, too, come to think of it--including the mini-series beforehand. Now there isn't anything we're both mad-keen on anymore... :\

I'm so fed up of hearing about Heroes I may have to cave in and get the DVD when it's released.

Two words: side talkin'. Plus cartoon: Aaand blog!

Correct; it was made by a British film company and I recall very faint wiffs of hype in the UK around the time it came out. However, it's painfully obvious that whoever put down the money for it wanted something to compete alongside your thoroughly generic, annual US teen horror turd.

Don't remember any assault rifles. Lots of shitty, throw-away slow mo's of bolt action rifles and Lugers being reloaded though.

And here was me hoping this would be a thread about that laughable "free" games service, that - despite being on life support for the last 6+ years - refuses to die.

Dog knows why, but I stayed up last night to watch The Bunker, which is about a bunch of Cockney Nazis (seriously) going mental whilst guarding a strategic bunker - built above some catacombs [eyes roll, jaw slackens] - during WW2. I can see what they were trying to do with it, but it drags on and on--with very little variation in the plot; one soldier goes wandering off into the catacombs, another soldier - who's progressively gone nuts - follows him in there and one comes out. Repeat until there's only Crazy Old Man and Fresh-Faced Kid left, sprinkle with nauseatingly-predictable hallucination sequences and there's your ~90mins of celluloid. Dire.

I've been PC gaming on a laptop solidly for the last 2.5 years. But I have big hands, so your average laptop keyboard is crippling after prolonged sessions. It's the lack of depression in the keys and the fact your wrist is resting on a large flat surface that makes it uncomfortable. My advice would be, unfortunately, to plug in a decent external 'board and use that instead. Alternatively, you could try buying a gel-filled wrist rest and placing that along the leading edge of the machine for more comfort (when using the built-in keyboard).

It's all I can do from whipping out the debit card and plunging into the void, but the most-excellent Play.com are now listing the Slimline PS2 for just £69.99 delivered. My original "green screen" Game Boy cost more than that!

Nothing I'm afraid. A friend and I did some curiosity shopping earlier this week for the PS2; £89.99 seems to be the standard price everywhere again. No idea when there might be another price slash, but it might still be worth hanging back a little while longer...

Damn you, Spafford, for distracting me in my hour(s) of crisis!

Right, good. This is what had me keen to see 28 Weeks Later in the first place (apart from the zombies). I'll definitely be watching this now--thanks, twmac.

Seeing as Xbox Live now supports instant messaging, I thought I'd post up my Messenger ID: wrestlevania@yahoo.com

I've been to Brighton a few times (when I've participated in the London to Brighton charity cycle ride in years gone by) during summer, and it's a really nice place to hang out and have a drink. Brighton also seems to harbour a very creative culture, i.e. cutting-edge web development, new music, etc. I've limited experience of course, but I also hear very good things about the nightlife in general. If my impending house move goes ahead OK, and funds permit, I'll be there with bells on. It'd be great to meet some Thumbs in meatspace.

Hereby unofficially dubbed Thumbs-Up. I was mulling this over last night and (schedule and finances permitting) I'd be up for it. Over in Brighton, yeah?