Monthly Archives: October 2014

Oldies.com DVD haul #2

I am not really buying Blu Rays as yet as while I do have a player, I cannot get the sound to come out through the sound bar so I can either have the picture and poor sound or a bit worse picture and much better sound. If I am not going for picture quality I don’t need to bother with them.

These titles had been on my “to buy” list for a while and I was going to hold off from buying them until I heard that Silva and Gold did a podcast on Emperor of the North (http://silvaandgold.com/archives/881) so that made up my mind to buy it.

Emperor of the North

I remember seeing this film mentioned on the Trailers from Hell (http://trailersfromhell.com/emperor-north-pole/#.VE9KPSKUdOg) website and thought it look interesting, it had not been available for quite a while and is still not that well known. There was a video of Ernest Borgnine talking about how it took 36 days to film the fight scene on top of the train with Lee Marvin

which gave me more of a reason to see it.

Dark of the Sun

I saw the cover for this and wanted to buy it before I knew what the movie was about. The Cult of Muscle also did an episode on it (http://cultofmuscle.libsyn.com/episode-25-genderblind-utopia) and I wanted to see it even more then.

The Doberman Gang/Daring Dobermans

I bought this one as I thought it was cute. I have also watched Doggie Woggiez, Poochie Woochiez

D.A.R.Y.L
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDXCe4pQ_3c

I remember watching this one in the 80s and wanted to see it although not online.

Explorers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3X3VxBJzH68

Another one I remember watching on VHS back in the 80s, most likely at someone else’s house as we did not own a VHS played until 1988.

The Music Lovers

I had enjoyed Lisztomania and wanted to see another movie based on a musician by Ken Russell. I still have not seen Tommy.

Altered States

Trying to get into Ken Russell more and this was only $5. I will get the Devils later.

DVD buy links:
Emperor of the North
http://www.oldies.com/product-view/3287GD.html

Dark of the Sun
http://www.oldies.com/product-view/0703ED.html

The Doberman Gang/Daring Dobermans
http://www.oldies.com/product-view/9113FD.html

D.A.R.Y.L
http://www.oldies.com/product-view/7283ED.html

Explorers
http://www.oldies.com/product-view/7284ED.html

Altered States
http://www.oldies.com/product-view/10428M.html

The Music Lovers
http://www.oldies.com/product-view/1275ED.html

Game Boys

Melbourne Fringe 2014
The Tuxedo Cat – Jackal Room, Saturday 4th October 2014

I had heard of video game inspired shows before in the comedy festival and fringe, but never gotten around to seeing them. This one seemed a bit different due to it being two brothers putting on the show and them sharing their experience. If it was my brother it would be lots of dead arms and teasing, but they manage to bring something different to the show.

There was some acknowledgement by the show’s creators that they expected a male-skewing audience but it is different from the 90s when it was mainly boys that played video games. In my audience there seemed quite a few women who came along with their partners and were happy to be there.

The basic premise of the show is about the two brothers growing up playing video games and the things they learned from them. While it would be advantageous to know the video game trivia going into the show, even you were just a casual fan you should get most of the references.

I enjoyed the Street Fighter II style introduction and that game and Mortal Kombat make up a significant portion of the show along with the competing brothers aspect. I did like the part about Goldeneye and a prop-heavy joke about Odd Job that you have to see to really get.

I also liked that they acknowledged that not everyone was able to buy games each month when they were growing up. Like myself they only received games for Christmas and birthdays and were happy with them. Having to share a single Game Boy on a trip around Australia certainly taught them how to share.

The part about games influencing their education was interesting, as I once had an English teacher who complained on an end of year report that I never wrote about anything except video games.

There were some dance moves and a demonstration of how the composer from Mario Paint is still being used to produce music to this day in a nod to the chiptunes movement.

The show had almost finished its run when I saw it, but hopefully it gets another run during the comedy festival or at some conventions around the place.

I would recommend going to see it if you are at all into games or enjoy game related humour.

http://www.melbournefringe.com.au/fringe-festival/show/game-boys/