Cultural Zest is BACK!

So I originally started this blog mainly because the original website I wrote articles for, Cultural Zest, had shut down. However, recently it has gone back up and I've been writing new material, such as my review of Deponia. This doesn't mean that my blog will cease to exist, just that the type of content will be altered slightly. I won't really be writing reviews on here, but I will link to them on my blog, and I might make the occasional review of an old movie/retro game, while reserving my analyses of new stuff for the website. Also, I'll keep writing a few little musings about pop culture and life in general, sharing songs/stories/pictures that amuse me. I don't really know who's reading this, but to the people that do, however few or however many there are, that's the situation. So, on with the blogging!

A part of my childhood died today

A part of my childhood died today. LucasArts was a game company of pure creative ingenuity, most notably in the 90s-early 2000 with their point and click adventure titles, which I can say with absolute certainty have made me the person I am today. I'l never forget the day I first took control of Guybrush Threepwood in the Monkey Island series, all the memories of laughing at the various gags and injokes spread through the games; the joy I felt when after 9 years of nothing, LucasArts revived the legendary pirate series. Now comes the end of an era, and who knows what little hope lies out there for the future of these games. Will we ever see the mighty pirate again? Will Ben Throttle ever ride his bike with the Polecats gang? Will Manny continue to reap the dead, what will become of Doctor Fred and his Mansion? Will we ever see Sam and Max's adventures in the Mariachi's time travelling lift? Only time will tell, but I have a feeling it will be a long wait. R.I.P. LucasArts, and to Telltale Games, don't forget your fans and while The Walking Dead was great and everything, you're famous for more than that.

Films I'm Looking Forward To

There have been many exciting announcements and trailers for films recently, so I'd like to share my thoughts on the films I'm most looking forward to in 2013.

Iron Man 3 

I loved the first 2 movies, and Avengers was awesome, so I expect big things from the third installment.  It's apparently set after Avengers, with Tony Stark suffering some form of post-traumatic stress, so that should be interesting, I hope to see a different side to the character as he deals with his emotional struggles while at the same time facing off against the Mandarine. Now, I'm not too familiar with the comics, so I don't really know what to expect as far as the villain is concerned, so I don't know how accurate Ben Kinsgley will be, however, he's a great actor, so I'm sure he'll pull off the role very well, regardless of how close he sticks to the original version of the character. Marvel's had a pretty lucky streak of fantastic movies so far, hopefully this one won't disappoint.

A Good Day To Die Hard 

It's not out here in Australia yet, but I haven't heard the greatest things about it. However, I tend to like a lot of things the majority criticize, and I've learnt to ignore other opinions and go into a film with an open mind, so hopefully it'll at least be entertaining even if the story lacks a punch.

Man of Steel 

I am a HUGE Superman fan. I still watch the Christopher Reeve films, and they always bring a smile to my face; the breathtaking musical score with the ICONIC theme by John Williams, those famous lines like "kneel before Zod!" , just fantastic. So, when I heard that there was going to be a complete reboot, I was instantly excited. Then the rumors kicked in...Clark with no glasses? What? Amy Adams as Lois Lane? Where are the red undies? CGI Cape? Lame! But then I realized  I thought similar things about Batman Begins; why is Batman driving around in an army vehicle? I thought. But like Batman, these concerns came to an end when I saw the trailer. I was very impressed, and while some things still have me a bit sceptical (I'm still not entirely sold on the idea of Clark not wearing glasses), I'm quite sure that this will be a fantastic Superman film, and not just that, but a great film in general. I can't wait to see this film, it's one of my most anticipated of this year.

Star Trek: Into Darkness

Now, I'm not that much of a Trekkie, however I have enjoyed the limited amount I've watched, and I do own a "KHAAAAAAN!" T-Shirt (custom made for me by my best mate). I'm no expert on the films or TV series by any means, so this new addition will be completely new to me, even if it does reference previous endeavours. I'm just looking forward to seeing how they improve upon the last film. I just hope I can put my jealousy of Benedict Cumberbatch aside while viewing it (but that's a topic for another time)...

Star Wars Sequel Trilogy

Ok, it's not happening until 2015 (or maybe even later), but it is topical this year, especially since the director has finally been announced: JJ Abrams. He's openly admitted to being a Star Wars nut, so obviously he cares about the franchise. Will he make a good film though? Or will it become a carbon copy of Star Trek? Only time will tell...

So, I started a blog...

Hello to anyone who reads this! I just randomly decided to start a blog, as I was bored and needed to give my life some meaning (ok, maybe it's not as pathetic as that). Anyways, I hope you find whatever I post interesting, it'll mostly be musings about life, maybe some samples of writing, oh, and me spewing out geeky fan rants! Under that umbrella, I'll posts some reviews of current films and games, as well as whatever new video I make on my YouTube channel, MrOzzieMonkey, or short films that I produce with my best mate who will host them on his channel The1stDirector. Ok, enough rambling from me (prepare yourself, I do that a lot).