Enter the Mind of Luke

Disney's Maleficent Trailer Has Arrived

noreply@blogger.com (LuketheGoon) — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 23:07:00 +0000

Leading up to Disney's Maleficent I really had no interest in checking it out.. But today somehow it ended up in my Facebook feed so I decided to check it out.. I have to say I was very impressed with what I saw. To a point.

It begins very dark and foreboding like the classic Disney films from back when I was a kid. Something I have always hoped Disney would go back to. But this all ended when the name Angelina Jolie flashed on the screen. My heart sank.

I have nothing against the actress. She is actually very good. However I feel like in a movie like this one she has become too high profile. It will always be Angelina Jolie playing Maleficent and not just a living embodiment of that character. A shame really because it looked very promising. I think some of the special effects could use a bit of a touch up towards the end but other than that very good. Hopefully I will be proven wrong and Jolie will be able to make me forget who she is like Tom Cruise did in Tropic Thunder. Only time will tell.

Streamlined vs Sandbox

noreply@blogger.com (LuketheGoon) — Thu, 24 Oct 2013 02:59:00 +0000

In all my time of running and preparing games I have always thought of the game as being a sandbox. I've always let players run where they want and had a couple different scenarios ready to go depending on where they went. All having to do with some of the lore I had developed within the world.

Recently however I have began to finally come to my senses and realize it would be much easier on me to begin to run a more structured or streamlined adventure. Not something that I would railroad, but rather an adventure that I have carefully crafted and set up specifically for them to run through from beginning to end.

But, do I really want to run a game that way? Honestly, I will probably always prefer sandbox simply because it really gives players the freedom to do whatever they want. I guess it's a nice challenge for me, as a DM, to figure stuff out on the fly. I'd guess that a sandbox game would be the ideal way to run a session, at least in my opinion. But if you are low on time or are not good under pressure a pre-made adventure might be what you need.

This sudden realization came after Joseph Bloch over at Greyhawk Grognard posed the question of how to run a non-sandbox wilderness adventure. So, I guess I'm not too alone in the way I try and prepare things. With school now taking up more time than I would like, I will probably have to begin falling back on more streamlined adventures. It's not ideal, but I have to be realistic and keep the players in mind as well.

How do you prefer to run your games?

Swords & Wizardry Complete PDF Free?

noreply@blogger.com (LuketheGoon) — Tue, 22 Oct 2013 16:19:00 +0000

It has been brought to my attention by Erik Tenkar over at Tenkar's Tavern that the guys over at Frog God Games are doing something really cool with their new Kickstarter. Right now they are trying to put together The Lost Lands campaign world that is written by Bill Webb. The man behind plenty of Swords & Wizardry products.

In order to get a lot more people on board they have promised that once they hit 400 backers they will make the Swords & Wizardry Complete PDF free to EVERYONE. A seriously cool update from those guys. They are currently sitting on 330 backers right now with 24 days to go. So in the next week or so I'm sure we'll see that goal reached.

In terms of the Kickstarter itself it will be funded in time. They only need about $5,000 to reach the project goal and like I said above a solid 24 days left. Now the only question is how many stretch goals can they hit. So go over and check them out, even if you are only giving $5 you'll probably still be getting the Complete PDF which is still selling for $10 on their site right now.

Barnes & Noble is Lacking

noreply@blogger.com (LuketheGoon) — Sat, 19 Oct 2013 04:43:00 +0000

Today after I had finished up at school I decided to head over to my local Barnes & Noble. It has been quite some time since I had been over there, plus the Starbucks that is inside has those fantastic pumpkin spice drinks this time of year.

Anyway I go in and start looking for something from Jack Vance. Nothing. OK, they have to have something by Poul Anderson right? Nope. Alright, alright.. Clark Ashton Smith? Nadda. By this point I was unsure if I was in a book store or some kind of hipster meeting ground. Finally I look for some Michael Moorcock. Elric finally appears. I looked it over but at that point I was kind of getting irritated by the lack of selection their Fantasy section had.

As I was standing in the Fantasy/Sci Fi section I began looking at all the new stuff and I realized I have no idea what is good any more. Who are good authors nowadays? Does anyone know?

If your curious I didn't end up picking any books up but I did have a damn good pumpkin spice frappucino which made up for the trip.

Adventures in the East Mark Kickstarter

noreply@blogger.com (LuketheGoon) — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 22:43:00 +0000

Recently a lot of people have been hesitant to donate to RPG Kickstarters. Some bad experiences with Dwimmermount or Axes and Anvils will certainly do it. But I believe I have found one that is worth giving to that will also deliver on their promise.

The game is called Adventures in the East Mark. What they are trying to do is bring their game over from Spain in a nice looking Red Box. The only thing they really need the money for is translation and production. Yes, something could probably go horribly wrong but their is always a risk involved with Kickstarter. However I think this is about as good a bet as you can place.

I have to say the product look pretty damn good as well. Today they posted an "unboxing" of the Spanish version just to give backers or potential backers a taste of what they have in store for the English translation. It's worth checking out. Head on over to thier Kickstarter now and see for yourself.

noreply@blogger.com (LuketheGoon) — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 01:32:00 +0000

Back Again.. For Now

noreply@blogger.com (LuketheGoon) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 05:27:00 +0000

Once again I'm posting after a very, very long hiatus. Well I'm back and a lot has changed since my last post. Once again I have returned back to my comic roots and decided that once again I'm going to attempt to pick up the pencil and see if I still have any artistic talent left. I haven't done anything yet but I do have an account set up over at Deviant Art that I will use to post my art if I do finally start up again.

Well last night I watched UFC Fight Night and there were some amazing fights. Oddly enough it overshadowed all of the premiere of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF). This season even has Kimbo Slice but the first fight that opened up Fight Night was Nate Quarry vs Tim Creduer (sp?). Epic fight.. All TUF really had was a couple funny fights between Rashad and Rampage and a rather boring, but INSANELY bloody fight.

Well since I have made this post maybe I will decide to come back and do more posts here.. Maybe eventually I'll do some comic book reviews or something. I will definitely come back and talk about UFC 103 this weekend.

Arlovski's Road to Affliction: Day of Reckoning

noreply@blogger.com (LuketheGoon) — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 03:03:00 +0000

Affliction has managed to put together a really card at the last show and this time around it is no different. I guess the only difference is they always use up all their talent. So Day of Reckoning has been a long time coming with some great names on the card most notably Fedor and Arlovski. Unfortunately however Affliction is horrible at marketing their superfights and it seems that fans are doing the job for them.

Below you can see the best piece of marketing that I have seen for the big fight between Arlovski and Fedor yet. Oddly enough this video only focuses on Arlovski too. Thats really how bad things are getting. Well anyway check it out below..

null - Watch more free videos

Bobby Lashley vs Joshua Franklin Fight Video

noreply@blogger.com (LuketheGoon) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 01:22:00 +0000

Another wrestler has decided to take a stab at MMA and by wrestler I mean Professional wrestling.. The staged fighting WWE, TNA, ECW stuff. His debut fight took place on Dec. 13th in Miami, Fl. for the American Fight League. You can watch his debut below and feel free to comment about the fight..

Cris Cyborg is a BEAST

noreply@blogger.com (LuketheGoon) — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 07:19:00 +0000

I'm back once again and I think I will be updating this much more now. I have a general idea of what I am gonna do here.. But I think I'm just gonna make this the manly mans blog. Hot chicks, fights and other cool shit that I like. One of them of course being MMA.

My first post oddly enough is going to be about Women's MMA. I'm not sure why Dana White doesn't pull his head out of his ass and realize that there is a lot of talent out there.. Well namely Gina Carano and maybe even better Cris Cyborg. Now I have never seen a full Cyborg fight but after watching this video below you will see why I am so impressed.

I have watched almost every single one of Gina Carano's fights and in all honesty they are nothing like this. Check it out..

Going Back to Comics and Art

noreply@blogger.com (LuketheGoon) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 02:12:00 +0000

Still working on getting this blog up and going soon. For now though it still in shambles and not much is going on. So I figured the best thing I can do while I figure out which direction I can take this thing in I will drop in some updates here and there.

Lately I have been become really fascinated with art and comics. Not that I never was before but I've kind of decided that I might start to get back into it. That is creating my own artwork. I use to be really good at drawing and whatnot but it has been ages since I have done anything with a pencil and paper.

I have considered going back and painting minatures again. Something I did for a short while about 10 years ago. I was really good at that. Something I think I inherited from my mother. She use to paint little houses and whatnot all the time. Now that I am older I think I could really get into it and be good. At some point however I think I am going to pick up a pencil again.. See what I can do.

Below is a piece I came across that I like for obvious reasons. I came across it on Deviant Art by an artist that goes by Ed Benes. Looks fantastic.. Man I wish I was Peter Parker!

Slowly But Surely...

noreply@blogger.com (LuketheGoon) — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 23:00:00 +0000

Still working on getting this bad boy off the ground once again. I got a friend working on some graphics for me and I have a really bad ass design in mind.. Not sure if it will be able to be done but.. Hopefully I will have something much better than this very soon.

Just yesterday I was in Louisville, KY for the Fright Night Film Fest which turned out to be a pretty cool trip. Wish I could have stayed for the whole show but it was fun while it lasted. Got to talk to Tiffany Shepis, Michael Felsher, Jerry Chandler, Ken Kish, John Dugan and a couple other kick ass folks.

Anway stick around and soon this place will be much better.. Until then enjoy the new youtube video of the moment on the right there.. Little Jana Defi on the old exercise bike.. She is a one hot chick..

Direction of the Blog

noreply@blogger.com (LuketheGoon) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 21:13:00 +0000

Well I am about to probably take a change of direction with this blog.. So far it has been mainly ruminations on film. Which will remain the focus but I think I will diversify it even more.. Of course I will be updating more and more but I still have not really come up with a real direction yet in which I feel confident in pursuing.

In fact I may even start up a new blog altogether to focus on other things and leave this one the way it is. Like I said there will be some changes.. I'm just not sure how far they will go. You'll have to wait and see. For now this is my first blog in a very long time so I may drift back into obscurity again.. Who knows? I just want to be able to expand the horizons of what I really want to do.

Blogging is an easy way to do this. I don't have to really focus on one topic if I don't want to. I'm not doing it to get paid or even for people to sit up and take notice.. Maybe no one will even read this. It's just something I will be doing for fun and hopefully feel a sense of relief that I passed on the good word. So stay tuned because some changes should be coming soon.

Watch 5 Minutes of Cloverfield!

noreply@blogger.com (LuketheGoon) — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 08:47:00 +0000

See Hatchet This Friday

noreply@blogger.com (LuketheGoon) — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 19:04:00 +0000

When I went up Toronto for the FanExpo I was lucky enough to see an early screening of Hatchet. While it wasn't exactly what they are advertising, it was definitely bad ass. So check it out in theaters this tomorrow, September 7th. Check out the trailer below.

Get More Hatchet Trailers at TerrorFeed.com

New Death Proof Trailer

noreply@blogger.com (LuketheGoon) — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 17:20:00 +0000

I fucking loved this movie. Despite all the naysayers I think I may have even liked Death Proof slightly more than Planet Terror. Some great kill scenes, hot chicks and of course Kurt Russell kickin it old school. Check it out below..

Get More 5872 Trailers at TerrorFeed.com

Wow...

noreply@blogger.com (LuketheGoon) — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 05:54:00 +0000

Well it has been WAY too long since I have blogged this time. Still oddly enough not much has happened. Still doing time over at HorrorMovies.ca. Reviewing a shit load of DVD's recently but thats never a bad thing. Hopefully next time I post on here I will have something interesting to say.. Peace..

Wow.. I've been busy...

noreply@blogger.com (LuketheGoon) — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 05:23:00 +0000

I can't believe its been over a month since I have written anything in here. I've been really busy at the site lately and have been reviewing movies left and right.. It's a good busy. Christmas time is all around now and it feels good.

No snow yet here in Ohio but I'm afraid of what might come down soon. This may mean that we are gonna be getting snow later which may slip into April.. I just hope it clears up before my B-Day..

Well I'm going on and on about nothing so I'm just making this update to let everyone know I am in fact still alive and kicking. I'll get something soon that will be worthwhile to update on. Until then keep checking out Horror-Movies.ca where I am constantly updating with kick ass news and reviews.

Huge Halloween Contest!

noreply@blogger.com (LuketheGoon) — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 17:34:00 +0000

Over at the site I write for we are putting on another contest. This one has a TON of stuff. I mean huge prize packs. Here is the listing of the stuff you can win:

Grand Prize

Underworld 2 DVD
When a Stranger Calls DVD
Freedomland DVD
Starz Stainless Steel Commuter Mug
Friday the 13th & A Nightmare On Elm Street Killer Trivia
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Leather Wallet
Dawn of the Dead Collectible Action Figure
Chucky Collectible Action Figure

1st Prize

Underworld 2 DVD
When a Stranger Calls DVD
Freedomland DVD
Shaun of the Dead Collectible Action Figure
Friday the 13th & A Nightmare On Elm Street Killer Trivia
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Leather Wallet

2nd Prize

Bubba Ho-Tep Collectible Action Figure
Starz Stainless Steel Commuter Mug
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Leather Wallet

All you gotta do is go here and tell them I referred you (Luke, Goon). Either name works. I mean who wants to miss out on all this free stuff? I know I don't.

The Rage Images Online

noreply@blogger.com (LuketheGoon) — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 18:09:00 +0000

Robert Kurtzman the madman behind the film Wishmaster has done it again. He has pulled together a crack team of FX gurus and is making one bad ass movie. What movie is that you ask? THE RAGE!

Its has a ton of crazy gore and hot chicks to quench any horror fans pallette. The trailer was posted by Horror-Movies.ca and today they also got their hands on some mighty fine images as well. Much like the one below.. You can check all those out and more right here.

Win A Prop From Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning

noreply@blogger.com (LuketheGoon) — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 18:32:00 +0000

Hey guys, Today my site received a really kick ass contest from New Line. Now we have done a lot of contests in the past but I have never posted them on here. Quite frankly because none of them are as bad ass as this one.

New Line has provided us with a prop from Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning! So now I am passing this news on to you so that you can win this bad ass piece and have it chillin in your office. All you gotta do is click here and your on your way to owning a piece of Texas Chainsaw Massacre Cinema history.

Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny

noreply@blogger.com (LuketheGoon) — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 10:52:00 +0000

I haven't said a word about this film but I must say this movie looks funny as hell. I've been a huge fan of Jack Black for quite some time and when he joined up with Kyle Gass to form Tenacious D I loved every minute of the CD. Long story short, watch the hillarious little trailer below and go see the movie on November 17th.

Chad Vader Episode 2

noreply@blogger.com (LuketheGoon) — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 09:28:00 +0000

Earlier I posted up Episode 1 if you didn't get a chance to check that one out first just click here. Well here is episode 2..

Chad Vader Episode 1

noreply@blogger.com (LuketheGoon) — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 13:27:00 +0000

I just found this hillarious little short movie. Well actually its more like a short TV series online. At any rate its funny as hell. Here is the first episode.

The Goon Chinatown Story Is Coming!

noreply@blogger.com (LuketheGoon) — Mon, 11 Sep 2006 06:54:00 +0000

We have been teased with the Chinatown story for ages now by Eric Powell. Just yesterday it was finally revealed that the graphic novel is finally under development. Awhile back I mentioned the upcoming Dwight T. Albatross Presents The Goon Noir series with guest writers and artists. Well it turns out that is all part of the plan to give Powell time to write and draw the Chinatown story.

Eric Powell commented on the novel, "The Chinatown story is the pivotal event in the Goon's history and I think it's gonna change the way a lot of readers see him."

Right now the book is scheduled to be released sometime next year. Not sure when but as soon as I find out you can bet I'll be posting up the solicitation.