I Want My Monkey Island

Why does everyone stare blankly at me when i tell them world of monkey island (http://www.worldofmi.com/) is closed? It's been around for ten years, and has been a great resource for the best adventure game of all time: MONKEY ISLAND!.. oh yeah, i said it. Sadly though, lucas arts hasn't been feeding us information on this sleeping franchise, and it looks like world of mi thinks its probably a dead franchise. I remember getting a copy of the first monkey island, i knew it was gonna be amazing, it was stored on five floppy disks... he he he. Over the years four games made it out, each one as amazing as the last (i still swear by the first two game, the first in its EGA format of course). The last monkey island game came out in 2000, which was pretty much the year the adventure game died. Seeing adventure games were a way to have fun and submerging game play on a pretty basic system, all the big power house systems at the time (PS2, XBOX, Gamecube) were making this kind of game play obsolete. I sincerely hope that we see a resurgence in the fan base of adventure gaming when everyone gets tired of these soulless flashy games and start looking for substance again. Since the last monkey island game has been released there has been a stage production, countless online comics and movie contracts drawn up (the last i head the production is on hiatus, probably indefinitely) of this wonderful story line. There is a speck of light in monkey island's dark future; During E3, in 2002 Marek from adventuregamers.com had a chance to ask Tom Sarris from lucas arts about the future of monkey island. "They are definitely going to make Monkey Island 5 since it is their most popular franchise. However, we shouldn't expect it in the near future". When is this "not in the near future" time frame? At least 2015... maybe. Don't hold your breath? I definitely am! If you have the time or the want, i urge you to read the story line from wikipedia of the monkey island games, they really are great. Its got pirates, zombies, ghosts, voodoo ladies, lost treasure and a secret so big it hasn't been revealed yet, but its all soaked in sarcasm and humor that is genuinely funny, it really does have everything.
I want to leave you with a scene from monkey island 2, it is personally one of my favorite scenes: Guybrush (the main character) has a bad spill, bumps his head and has a rather odd dream in which his parents make an appearance (as skeletons) and we see LeChuck (Guybrush's arch nemesis) as he appears for the whole of the second game, as a green rotting zombie. Just a side note - LeChuck starts off the series as a ghost, and somehow Guybrush kills him, then he comes back as a zombie in the second game, Guybrush then kills him again... this pattern repeats itself through out the series. ANYWAYS, here is the clip, enjoy!

Sleeping with the Bears

I don't know if anyone else goes through this around this time of year, around this type of weather, but its always like clock work for me, the need and want to camp. I guess it has alot to do with liking camping in the first place... but really, who doesn't? I guess you can not like the bugs and the dirt and all the other things that come hand in hand with being in the great out doors. But i guess thats the charm for me. Normally, im clean organized and planned individual, but i guess thats why i like camping, the dirt and bugs and dirt are gonna get you no matter what. But like i was saying, this time of year, when the sun is out, the snow is melting, and its starting to get ever so slightly warm, the urge takes control. I know exactly what im doing with my summer reading week, going to Algonquin with Tia, however, im horribly afraid of being eaten, mauled and raped by bears; Tia assures me it wont happen... but she is a hippy... whom i love very much =) I guess this means fixing the hole in my canoe as soon as possible. Heres to the sun killing the snow! cheers! 

Muppet Faces of Death

I remember when I was a kid growing up in Toronto, there was a Chinese video store across the street from where I lived. They had a few bootleg copies of Faces of Death for in the back that my friends and I used to rent, watch, and be horrified by... that must have been illegal seeing they were bootlegs AND we were all between the ages of 12 and 16. When I was just a little guy I loved (and still do love) Jim Henson and his Muppets. I know what your thinking; to rather odd memories from my youth to be grouped together... BUT I found this amazing video that does just that.



PEACE! MISS PIGGY! PEACE!

World War Z On The Big Screen

Back in September of 2006 Max Brooks' follow up to The Zombie Survival Guide was released. In short, its a compilation of interviews conducted with the survivors of the class three world infection, or the Great Zombie War. It was an excellent read with lots of detail and enormous amount of re-readability. Before the book was even released there was a bidding war over the right for the film adaptation of the book. The two movie houses in the bidding war were Brad Pitt's company and Leonardo DiCaprio's company. Ultimately, Plan B Entertainment, owned by Brad Pitt, won. The movie has reportedly had a large six figure sum allocated to it for production costs. This book has great potential to be translated to film. The screen play has been written already by J. Michael Straczynski(Babylon 5) but so far no director has been named. I personally hope that Max Brooks has a large part to play in production and post production of this movie; he knows he zombie stuff. On IMDB, the release date is scheduled for sometime this year, but without a director tacked to the project I think we'll be lucky to see this movie by Christmas 2009.

How I Got My Jedi Powers.

So I spent the last weekend free from school and work in Toronto with my girlfriend and my best friends. It started out with glow in the dark mini-putt, in which we kept no score, hit each others balls, threw our clubs around and more or less played hockey. After mini putt when then went back to Sheldon and Alex's house for a night of drinking and debauchery. Then the following morning, we all went to the Royal Ontario Museum, for some educational fun, and we took close to 400 pictures. Along with all the trips to Toronto and the copious amounts of alcohol consumed, Tia made it her week long mission to have me watch as many comedies as possible, seeing I lack the knowledge to quote certain movies when necessary. I must say Anchorman, was possibly one of the best movies I have seen in quite some time, however, its a shame the days when everyone quotes one of the many priceless lines have come and passed. I love carpet, I love desk, I love lamp. Im sorry, I ate your chocolate squirrel. I think reading week is quite possibly one of the most dangerous times of the school year, seeing I'm so used to sitting on my ass, drinking, and being lazy, and now its back to the grind stone... boooo! Well, its just about over, and class starts tomorrow morning and I'm so damn tired. Before I leave to recuperate for class tomorrow, I must leave you with a glimpse of my week, enjoy and may the force be with you.