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PLEX Coming to LG TVs and Blu-Ray Players

AC Slater — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:35:33 +0000

If you're a fan of the PLEX media center then this news may interest you. It was just announced that the guys behind PLEX have struck a deal with LG in bringing the PLEX interface to LG TVs and Blu-Ray Players early next year. What this means is you no longer need a Mac hooked up to your TV to stream your content to a beautiful interface. Essentially you'll be able to run the PLEX Media Server/Manager on any computer in the house and the LG device will automatically find those servers and allow you to stream that media directly to the TV/Blu-Ray Player.

I've actually been trying to think of a cheap way to get PLEX into my bedroom without buying another Mac Mini for $350+ (my used one cost $350 a few months ago). I thought the new AppleTV would have been my answer, but it appears that it cannot play all types of media and the streaming only works with stuff that you are sharing via iTunes... no thank you. My other thought was a Roku box, but from everything I've read you can't stream media over the network to the Roku easily or with as nice of an interface as PLEX. So that really only left me with another Mac in the bedroom, which wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, but I really don't want to spend the money. I guess I could always just hook my laptop up in the bedroom before going to sleep if I wanted to watch a movie/TV show, but I'd like something more permanent so these LG options may work.

Of course the only problem is I'm not in the market for a TV or a Blu-Ray player at the moment and I don't normally spend large amounts of money on the bedroom electronics. I mean, I'm rockin a 32" Olevia LCD 720p TV in the bedroom and an Insignia Blu-Ray player. Total cost (when units were brand new) $650... although the more I think about it, I could probably get a similar package deal these days for the same price, maybe cheaper or with a larger TV considering how much lower LCD TVs are these days, but either way I'm not in the market to spend $600+ on a TV/Blu-Ray Player. And I know they don't really want to do this, but I would love for a small set top box, similar to the new Apple TV, that ran the PLEX front end. I would buy that in a heart beat, but it doesn't seem like that's the direction they want to take it, but maybe LG will jump in on that and put something together...

Either way, if you haven't checked out the new PLEX/NINE I suggest you do and if you want to read more about PLEX on LG devices check out the PLEX Blog.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Create-A-Class Video

AC Slater — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:47:53 +0000

Here's a little preview of how you'll go about creating your classes in Call of Duty: Black Ops. Nothing really exciting here except for the fact that you can purchase different things using CoD Points. I'm sure things will also be available as you level up, but the CoD Points just add for another layer to the whole thing. I did notice that the "noob tube" or Grenade Launcher attachment is still there for those that despise the attachment.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Wager Match Trailer

AC Slater — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:42:10 +0000

In the last post I briefly mentioned the Wager Match mode in Call of Duty: Black Ops, well here's the video trailer for it so you can get a better idea of what it is. I seriously think this sounds awesome and can't wait to get my hands on it.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Killstreak Rewards and Perks

AC Slater — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:58:25 +0000

Kotaku has a really nice write up of their time with the Call of Duty: Black Ops multiplayer so head over there to give it a read. I wasn't at the event last night to witness the game first hand so I didn't want to try and just summarize what they wrote because I wouldn't do it justice, but I figured the least I could do is post up the killstreak rewards and the perks that you'll be able to unlock while playing Black Ops online. I also want to say that after reading Kotaku's write up I am even more excited for this game. The Wager Match game mode sounds pretty sweet, a bunch of specific specialty game modes that allow you to wager "CoD Points" that you can then use to buy guns and perks and stuff.

Anyways, enough with my random babbling about what I read over at Kotaku, here are the perks and killstreak rewards... and thankfully there no Commando, there is a marathon, but it just gives you longer sprint which doesn't necessarily mean unlimited sprint (but I guess it could).

Perk 1

Lightweight - Move Faster (Pro)
Scavenger - Pick up ammo from fallen enemies. Replenish lethal grenades (Pro)
Ghost - Undetectable by the Spy Plane and the Blackbird
Flak Jacket - Reduces explosive damage
Hardline - Killstreaks require 1 less kill

Perk 2

Hardened - Bullets penetrate better
Scout - Hold breath longer
Steady Aim - Increased hip-fire accuracy
Sleight of Hand - Faster reloads
Warlord - Equip two attachments to your primary weapon

Perk 3

Marathon - Longer Sprint
Ninja - Silent Movement
Second Chance - Pull out your pistol before dying
Hacker - Ability to detect enemy equipment and explosives
Tactical Mask - Reduces the effect of flash and concussion grenades.

Killstreak Rewards

3 Kills - Spy Plane
3 Kills - RC-XD (remote control car bomb)
4 Kills - Counter Spy Plane
4 Kills - SAM Turret
5 Kills - Care Package (now also includes rare weapons along with other Killstreak Rewards)
5 Kills - Napalm Strike
6 Kills - Sentry Guns
6 Kills - Mortar Team
7 Kills - Attack Helicopter
7 Kills - Valkyrie Rockets
8 Kills - Blackbird
8 Kills - Rolling Thunder
9 - Chopper Gunner
11 - Attack Dogs
11 - Gunship

Return to war on Call of Duty(R): Black Ops(TM). Offer includes a game console.

The Last Exorcism: My Thoughts

AC Slater — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:48:18 +0000

I got a chance to check out the Eli Roth produced "The Last Exorcism" last night so I figured I'd give a quick rundown on my thoughts. I really hate calling these things reviews because I don't like the stigma that comes with movie critics. This is my opinion of the movie and what I saw, some of you will agree with it and some of you won't. Maybe you'll agree with some of the things I say, but not others and I totally respect that because clearly not everyone has the same taste in movies, and that's not a bad thing.

If you're not sure who Eli Roth is he's the man behind such flicks as Cabin Fever, Hostel and Hostel II. He's also had some bit acting roles in movies like Piranha 3-D and Cabin Fever, but more notably he played The Bear Jew in Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds. Basically if you're into the horror genre you've probably heard this guys name and could recognize his face. In this instance he's only on as a producer with Daniel Stamm behind the camera.

The movie follows a documentary film crew as they learn about fake exorcisms and how one preacher uses smoke and mirrors to "help" rid people of their demons. I don't want to give too much away so I'm going to keep the plot light, but at it's core that's what it is. So after receiving a letter from a man a few towns over, they head out to perform an exorcism, or basically fake an exorcism, to help a young girl.

I know what you're probably thinking, "Really, another found footage/documentary style horror movie..." and honestly I'm starting to feel the same way. I'm a huge fan of The Blair Witch Project, not necessarily because it was the greatest movie in the world, but for it's originality in it's presentation. Before that movie came out the only other one that I know of that was similar was Cannibal Holocaust and that didn't really play as well due to the graphic nature of it. So needless to say I've been a fan of the creativity that comes with the "found footage/documentary" style movies. I thought Paranormal Activity was very well done, I thought Cloverfield was good as well for a higher budget go at the genre, but upon hearing that "The Last Exorcism" was being hailed as amazing and was yet another movie of this type, I was a little skeptical.

I will say that Lionsgate did a tremendous job of marketing the movie because I wasn't even really sure what it was completely about before going into it. I essentially thought it was the documentation of a real exorcism, which isn't really the case as I mentioned above. So kudos to you Lionsgate for filling the seats and pulling in $20+ million opening weekend. I hope this leads to more low budget movies like this getting attention.

My thoughts on the movie are a little mixed, to be honest. While I was watching it I felt like the first hour or so kind of dragged, but after it ended and I think back on it, the first hour was actually a really good setup for the last act of the movie, so I don't feel as cheated as I may have felt while watching it. I felt like there were more subtle scare moments in the first couple acts of Paranormal Activity than there were in this film, but the last 30 minutes or so of this flick delivered more than PA. I thought the story was pretty interesting and pretty well written. I thought most of the acting was good, but since it's a documentary style film the acting doesn't have to be perfect because we're supposed to believe that they aren't actors. From a technical aspect when it came to editing and sound I was a little disappointed, but I'm sure 99% of people won't be bothered by the few things that bothered me. For example, the use of music I thought took away from the realism of the film. Just comparing to other movies of this style, they normally don't have soundtracks playing because there wouldn't be music playing, unless there was a source within the actual setting of the movie, so this was a little distracting to me. I was also able to pick up on a few moments where there was obviously a scene cut together in a creative manner to make it look like it was one continuous shot. But again, I know this has to be done and 99% of people aren't going to notice it.

Despite it's few minor flaws I thought it was a good flick. As far as the ending goes, since that seems to be what everyone is talking about, I didn't really see how it could have ended any other way and honestly it was pretty predictable, but not bad by any means. I thank Eli Roth for putting this one together and getting it out to the masses and I thank Lionsgate for taking a chance on an independent horror movie. And if either of you ever read this and want to support another little guy, I have a pitch for you if you're wiling to listen, haha.

Mr. Chi-City: A Brotha and his Big Girl

AC Slater — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:40:20 +0000

Looks like Mr. Chi-City is back to making YouTube videos and has released a teaser of sorts. If you haven't seen this guys videos they are pretty amusing so I suggest checking out his YouTube page and get yourself caught up.

DVD & Blu-Ray Releases for August 31, 2010

AC Slater — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:13:16 +0000

DVD Releases

Blu-Ray Releases

Fantasy Factory: I’m an Awkward Enabler! (8/30/10)

AC Slater — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:41:50 +0000

BIG CAT EPISODE!!!! I actually kinda like Big Cat's awkwardness, it reminds me of Drama's awkwardness during the Rob & Big days, although I think Drama has more "stage" presence than his brother does.

I'm An Awkward Enabler!: Rob organizes an intervention to address his cousin Big Cat's awkwardness.

So my DVR decided to delete all of my series recordings which includes Fantasy Factory so by the time I realized it was on I missed everything up until the first commercial, but what I did see was pretty amusing. Rob stages an awkward intervention for Big Cat's awkwardness, which was in itself extremely awkward. So to help him get over his awkwardness they made him give a speech at the opening of one of Rob's Safe Spot Skate Spots and he actually did pretty well with it. I think if Big Cat was in front of the cameras more he would eventually develop more confidence and be fine with it, I mean look at Drama he was awkward as hell during the early Rob & Big years, but eventually he grew into it and became more comfortable.

So that was basically the gist of the episode, I don't know if I missed anything at the beginning, but between the Safe Spot Skate Spot opening across from a 7-11 and Big Cat's awkwardness the episode was pretty entertaining.

Top 10 Saved By The Bell Moments

AC Slater — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 15:55:33 +0000

Seeing as how this site is named after A.C. Slater I figured it was time to do a rundown of my Top 10 Saved By The Bell Moments. Now I know there are a lot of other good moments, but I told myself I would take the first 10 that came to my mind and then order them from least memorable to most. Of course after I thought of 10 the memories just started flooding back and I had to add 2 more to the list as honorable mentions and I know there are more, but for the sake of argument we're just going to leave it at this, but feel free to chime in in the comments and let us know what your favorite Saved By The Bell Moment is.

10. Zack Attack in Concert Singing Friends Forever - Rockumentary (season 3 episode 22) - Casey Kasem hosts a "behind the music" type show about "Zack Attack" the fictional band that Zack and friends started in his garage and went on to become huge stars with their hit "Friends Forever".

9. Buddy Bands and the Buddy Bands Video - The Friendship Business (season 1 episode 11) - The gang is given a class project to come up with a product idea to market and sell at school. They come up with Buddy Bands and create the most ridiculous marketing video ever featuring slater dancing around like a goon with Jessie and Kelly on his arms.

8. Alien Screech - Close Encounters of the Nerd Kind (season 2 episode 12) - The gang films a video for school dressing up Screech as an alien, but then decides that they can make a quick buck if they sell the pictures of Alien Screech to a tabloid, but upon meeting with the reporter he turns out to be with the government.

7. Screech's Spaghetti Sauce - Screech's Spaghetti Sauce (season 3 episode 3) - Screech's recipe for spaghetti sauce becomes the hit of the school and he soon as girls climbing all over him, but the best part of this is the commercial they make to promote it.

6. Slater's Talks About His Best Friend Artie - Slater's Friend (season 4 episode 23) - Slater gives a speech in class about his best friend, a chameleon named Artie. Seriously? A chameleon is his best friend? What a pussy... oh well it died anyways when he left it in Zack and Screech's care while he went out of town. It's amazing that such a bad ass guy would have a pet chameleon...

5. Johnny Dakota - No Hope With Dope (season 3 episode 21) - This whole character/episode was awesome so I can't choose just a moment, but the best part is that it was an anti drug episode and you know all of the actors were going back to their trailers after each scene and smoking pot while doing lines of coke off of a dead hookers ass.

4. Hot Sundae Video - Jessie's Song (season 2 episode 9) - This isn't the last time this episode will appear on our countdown, but it contains more than one great moment so I had to throw this in. Jessie, Kelly and Lisa form a girl singing group after Zack hears them singing along with some shitty song at the Max. They come up with a music video that causes Jessie to go into a downward spiral.

3. "It's Just a Brewski Preppy"/DUI - Drinking and Driving (season 4 episode 10) - In honor of Lisa winning homecoming queen the guys go to a party at Ox's house. To their surprise there is....omg... BEER, at the party and after having 2 beers Zack thinks he can drive home, but obviously he can't hold his booze and crashes Lisa's mom's Mercedes... I couldn't find a picture related to this so I just went with a hot picture of Kelly Kapowski.

2. Zack and Slater's Fight - The Fight (season 4 episode 1) - Zack and Slater fall in love with the same new girl and end up rolling around on the ground, aka "fighting" as they try to figure out who gets to date her.

1. I'm So Excited, I'm So Excited, I'm So Scared... - Jessie's Song (season 2 episode 9) - The stress of studying and trying to build a successful girl singing group finally gets the best of Jessie when she starts downing caffeine pills to help stay awake and study... Really?!?! caffeine pills is the hard drug of choice for these kids? Hands down the best Saved By The Bell moment, ever!

Honorable Mentions

Lisa doing "The Sprain" with Screech at the dance competition at The Max - Dancing To The Maxx (season 1 episode 1)

Making Fake ID's to get into The Attic While wearing sweatpants and blazers - Fake I.D.'s (season 3 episode 9)

And that's it... let us know what your favorite Saved By The Bell moments are in the comments.

Get Halo: Reach and Call of Duty: Black Ops for $75 Total!

AC Slater — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:21:45 +0000

Check out this article over at Bargain Bastards for information on how to order both Halo: Reach and Call of Duty: Black Ops for $75 total (not each). I just placed my order, nothing like 2 of the hottest games for almost the price of 1.

Bargain Bastards

acSlater.com

PLEX Coming to LG TVs and Blu-Ray Players

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