Upholstery Sandwich

Springpad - Android App

noreply@blogger.com (Steven P McVey) — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 16:57:00 +0000

This post couldn't get any lazier. The app is basically notes and notebook.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II multiplayer revealed -Destructoid

noreply@blogger.com (Steven P McVey) — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Call of Duty: Black Ops II multiplayer revealed -Destructoid:

Ladies and gentlemen, start your cynicism! Call of Duty: Black Ops II has a brand new trailer, revealing the multiplayer component for the first time. Watch people with guns shoot other people with guns! Listen to big bass sounds that emphasize the importance of the shooting with the guns! Watch it all!

Lots of interesting things happening. Drones, disruption machines, mechs, all sorts of futuristic stuff. Whether it'll be enough to freshen the game in the eyes of those already hating it remains to be seen. It's looking promising to me, at any rate. But then, Activision did give me ten billion million dollars to like it.

Do you live under a rock? Are you missing your thumbs? This shouldn't be news to anyone who enjoys yelling at the TV and being belittled by screaming 10yr olds. I'll say it, I like MW3 a lot. But I'm dumping that ol' bitch as soon as this game comes out.

Wildgrounds: Outrage Beyond trailer

noreply@blogger.com (Steven P McVey) — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 00:33:00 +0000

Trailer for Takeshi Kitano’s yakuza film Outrage Beyond!

Doing this on my tablet and blogger app, so piss off if it looks like shite. I'm stuffed with fried oreos from the town clam fest and to fat and lazy to do anything but use my pointer finger. Wildgrounds has a trailer for Kitano's Outrage Beyond. Thank god he's doing yakuza movies instead of that comedy shit. Looks loje Time Warner has dibs on this so a proper US release shouldn't be far away.

SciFi Japan: Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samuari trailer

noreply@blogger.com (Steven P McVey) — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 11:00:00 +0000

SciFi Japan: HARA-KIRI: DEATH OF A SAMURAI Trailer

Distributor Revolver Entertainment has provided a trailer for HARA-KIRI: DEATH OF A SAMURAI (一命, Ichimei, 2011), director Takashi Miike’s (AUDITION, 13 ASSASSINS) remake of Masaki Kobayashi’s cult classic HARAKIRI (切腹, Seppuku, 1962). The film will be open in limited theatrical release this Friday, May 4th with the DVD and Blu-ray following on Monday, May 7th.

This has been available to some for a while. I think it got a theatrical release last wek here in the states. Surprisingly, I haven't seen the film and have heard nothing but positive reviews, so I loo forward to seeing it. So If you haven't seen Masaki Kobayashi's original film featuring Tatsuya Nakadai, you MUST SEE THAT FILM. IMMEDIATELY, I WRITING IN CAPS FOR CHRISTS SAKE, THAT'S HOW IMPORTANT IT IS. It's a fucking great film. I don't think Miike can top it, but I expect to be entertained. That is all.

OTAKU USA (OCTOBER 2012): FIGHT! DRAGON (Review)

noreply@blogger.com (Steven P McVey) — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Anime, Manga, Games, Cosplay, JPop:

The latest issue of Otaku USA (October 2012), the nation's greatest J-Nerd geek mag is about to find it's way into stores and your filthy mits. And for you super lucky subscribers (or not so lucky), I've got a review in there for Yasuaki Kurata's TV series Fight! Dragon. What can I say about these 26 episodes of madness? A lot, which is why you should buy the mag so I can feed my children (that's a lie - I really mean my neighbors cat). Here's the rest from the website in case you were to lazy to go there yourself, which is offensive and admirable (who doesn't love being lazy?).

On sale July 31st, 2012

FEATURES

Double Trouble

Can Persona 4: The Animationappeal to a Persona noob?

Jail Bait

Deadman Wonderland concocts a devlish mix of hope and despair

Watching The Detectives

Heaven’s Memo Pad puts the “private” in private eye.

Totally Metal

Few anime will make you laugh as much as Detroit Metal City

Survivor Series

King of Thorn gets real with horror and suspense

Next Issue: Volume 6, Number 3 - December 2012, on sale 10/16/12

Team Astro (Beisbol meets Codger Chiba) - Hulu

noreply@blogger.com (Steven P McVey) — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Team Astro - Full Episodes and Clips streaming online - Hulu:

Team Astro is the story of how J. Shuro (portrayed by J.J Sonny Chiba) meets the legendary pitcher Eiji Sawamura in the Philippines during WWII. Per Sawamura’s last wishes, Shuro gathers nine “Supermen” born at nine minutes and nine seconds past nine on September 9th of the 29th year of Showa (1954) -- the baseball shaped scars on their bodies a sign of their mutual bond -- to create the greatest baseball team in the world, able to beat the Yomiuri Giants and the US Major League teams. The Team Astro cast members were chosen for their ability to play baseball and include past participants in the annual Koshien high-school baseball tournament, resulting in realistic baseball scenes and spectaculars stunts taken directly from the original manga. For Team Astro, each game is all or nothing -- the characters literally play for their lives. But through such determination emerges the spirit of professional baseball’s youth, a time when baseball was still strongly associated with people’s hopes and dreams.

The Street Fighter meets The Bad News Bears Goes to Japan? Wishful thinking. I've never heard of this series, but anything with Chiba sporting Aviators and mustache must be viewed at least once. Just look at that mug, you know he's ready to go Karate Bearfigther on that dude in the lower left corner. Thank you Hulu.

Netflix : Battle Royale & Battle Royal II

noreply@blogger.com (Steven P McVey) — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Battle Royale (Batoru Rowaiaru)
2000 2hrs 2m

When even schoolchildren begin to abuse a system on the verge of social collapse, the Japanese government introduces a strict new punishment whereby randomly chosen students are taken to a deserted island and forced to fight each other to the death.

I don't get all the hoopla regarding this film. Sure, Kinji Fukasaku is the greatest director to stand behind a camera. But this film is mediocre at best. Not the greatest / most shocking film of the century as some would have you believe. I don't hate the film, but it's certainly not even remotely in the top 10 of Fukasaku's greatest films. Not to mention, you could have had this film (with subtitles) on eBay probably 10 years ago (which I did). Any way, at least you have the option to watch it on Netflix now. You can also watch the sequel Battle Royale II on Netflix as well. Surprisingly I've never watched that film (it was finished by Kenta Fukasaku, as Kinji passed away before taking the helm). I've heard nothing but shit reviews regarding it, so I'm in no rush to jump over other worthy shows like The Armed Organization, Red Peony Gambler 7 or Inazuman to see it.

Otaku USA - Android Apps on Google Play

noreply@blogger.com (Steven P McVey) — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Otaku USA - Android Apps on Google Play:

Description: Over 100 pages of the latest, coolest anime, manga and Jpop!

Otaku USA Magazine features comprehensive coverage of manga, anime video games and Japanese pop culture written from an American point of view. Each issue has 32 pages of the hottest manga previews from the top publishers. Published Bi-Monthly each issue has over 100 pages of the latest, coolest anime, manga and Jpop!

I admit, since I got a tablet in January (Asus Transformer Prime), I've been doing a lot a reading (or looking at pictures) on my tablet. I defintely have multiple Graphic Novel / Manga's on it and read all my feeds via Feedly (app). It'd quite convenient. What's not convenient about this app is that it is only for "new" accounts. So if you are already a subscriber to the print version, you either have to pony up more loot for the digital edition or just wait for your print sub to end and sign up online. What would really make us (me) happy is if you could add your account to the app for those who already subscribe. Other mags do it, whatever, that's just me. At least it's finally available...I guess. It is where all the cool people hang out.

New York Asian Film Festival 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Steven P McVey) — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 11:00:00 +0000

New York Asian Film Festival 2012:

NYAFF 2012 runs from June 29 – July 15!

Now in its 11th year, the New York Asian Film Festival is North America’s leading festival of popular Asian cinema, which the New York Times has called “…one of the city’s most valuable events…” Launched in 2002 by Subway Cinema, the Festival selects only the best, strangest, and most entertaining movies to screen for New York audiences, ranging from mainstream blockbusters and art-house eccentricities to genre and cult classics. It was the first North American film festival to champion the works of Johnnie To, Bong Joon-Ho, Park Chan-Wook, Takashi Miike, and other auteurs of contemporary Asian cinema. The Festival has been produced in collaboration with the Film Society of Lincoln Center since 2010.

It's that time of year again, drinking in movie theatre's watching an Asian film. This is going to seem redundant, but I'll say it every year (since 2010) that I prefer the festival when it was shown at the IFC Centre in the Village with the filth, than in the posh Lincoln Centre with the uppity ups. Besides, I never really hung out up there and don't know where all the dive bars and socials are. Certainly the theatre is cleaner, but I want convenience, not clean. Since we're no longer in the city, my schedule is limited, so here are the films I have to choose from: Old Boy (seen it, I'm good), Zeroman vs Half Virgin, Scabbard Samurai, King of Pigs or Tokyo Playboy Club (at Japan Society). All take place on Fridays or Saturdays. I'm leaning toward the last one at JS, but if anyone has any suggestions, kindly note them. I do enjoy getting tipsy at these fine occasions. I'm not even going to ask my wife to come anymore, she came 3yrs ago, left early, 2yrs ago, left after 10mins, 1yr ago, no show. Now we're down to assumptions that she just isn't going, which is fine by me. Less explaining what's going on and why things are funny.

Get it Now!: Spice and Wolf Novel 6 @ Right Stuf

noreply@blogger.com (Steven P McVey) — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 21:13:00 +0000

Spice and Wolf Novel 6 (208 pgs):

As Holo and Lawrence begin the final leg of their journey, Lawrence decides to accompany Holo to her ancient home of Yoitsu, if only to forestall their parting just a bit longer. Boarding a ship from the port of Lenos (much to the chagrin of the wisewolf, who is none too fond of water!), the pair's fate becomes entangled with that of a boy named Col, whose tale of his circumstances - combined with the gossip of the sailors - leads to a shocking revelation about Holo's homeland!

Written by Isuna Hasekura.

Could June be any better of month? It could, but let's explain. First, we get the release of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus III, the Yankees are in first place (for all you otaku baseball fans) and the latest Spice & Wolf novel (#6) is on a truck waiting to arrive at my doorstep. What could possibly dampen the beauty of this month? Let me bask in fantasy and not answer that. Moving along, this is the latest Light Novel release from Yen Press. If you didn't know (and I'm sure you want to) this is new material for fans in the US (and everywhere else except Japan I guess) as the anime only went up to novel 5 (sans LN#4). This will make for pleasant beach reading material at the ol' cabana. Granted, I'll be hiding it under cover from wandering eyes, but I will be reading it none the less. Novel 7 is already available for pre-order (December 2012) on Amazon, don't know when Right Stuf gets their site updated, but this is good news for otaku ladies and beach pasties like me.

Godzilla and Japanese Sci-Fi Return to TCM in June « SciFi Japan

noreply@blogger.com (Steven P McVey) — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Godzilla and Japanese Sci-Fi Return to TCM in June « SciFi Japan:

Here's a nice little summer treat for those who give a shit. TCM (Turner Classic Movies) is showing a bevy of Japanese SciFi / Horror films on June 15 and June 28th. Obviously....OBVIOUSLY...(excuse me) I've seen all of these films. The one I'm most interested in (surprisingly) is Kinji Fukasaku's gaijin space horror "The Green Slime". The last time I saw this movie I can remember exactly where I was. I was in my neighbors house, the mum baby sat my brother and I, along with her 2 children after school. This was on the tele on like Channel 5 or something that used to show horror films. My guess, the year was between 1978-82. The only thing i remember about the film was that if you shot them, they'd bleed green goo and another monster would sprout from it. And their tentacles were electrified! The DVR will certainly be set for that one. I also highly recommend watching Hausu at least once in your life. I did a review for this film for Otaku USA in one of the mags this past year or two. The film is quite a spectacle and highly recommend for sheer buffoonery.

Friday, June 15
8:00 PM EST- GOJIRA (Godzilla) (1954)
American nuclear weapons testing results in the creation of a seemingly unstoppable, dinosaur-like beast. Director: Ishiro Honda. Cast: Takashi Shimura, Momoko Kochi, Akira Takarada, Akihiko Hirata.
BW-96 mins, Japanese with English subtitles.

9:40 PM EST- RODAN (1956/1957)
Miners uncover the nest of a giant pterodactyl. Director: Ishiro Honda. Cast: Kenji Sahara, Yumi Shirakawa, Akihiko Hirata.
C-72 mins, TV-PG, CC.

11:00 PM EST- MOTHRA (1961/1961)
After singing twin maidens are kidnapped from a tropical island, a giant larva (and soon-to-be moth) travels to Japan to rescue them. Director: Ishiro Honda. Cast: Frankie Sakai, Hiroshi Koizumi, Kyoko Kagawa, Emi Ito, Yumi Ito, Jerry Ito.
C-91 mins, TV-PG

1:00 AM EST- THE H-MAN (1958/1959)
Nuclear tests create a radioactive man who can turn people into slime. Director: Ishiro Honda. Cast: Yumi Shirakawa, Kenji Sahara, Akihiko Hirata.
C-79 mins, TV-PG, CC.

2:30 AM EST- HAUSU (House) (1977)
A schoolgirl spends her summer vacation in a haunted house. Director: Nobuhiko Obayashi. Cast: Kimiko Ikegami, Eriko Tanaka, Kumiko Ohba.
C-88 mins, TV-MA, Japanese with English subtitles.

Thursday, June 28
9:30 AM EST- THE MANSTER (1958/1962)
A mad scientist turns a reporter into a two-headed killer. Director: George P. Breakston. Cast: Peter Dyneley, Jane Hylton, Satoshi Nakamura, Jerry Ito.
BW-73 mins, TV-PG

5:45 PM EST- THE GREEN SLIME (1968/1969)
A mysterious fungus invades a space station and turns into monsters. Director: Kinji Fukasaku. Cast: Robert Horton, Richard Jaeckel, Luciana Paluzzi.
C-90 mins, TV-14

Netflix: Hissatsu: Sure Death

noreply@blogger.com (Steven P McVey) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Netflix: Hissatsu: Sure Death:
Hissatsu: Sure Death (Hissatsu!)
1984 2hr 3m NR
Our best guess for Steven: 2.7 stars
Average of 6,081 ratings: 2.9 stars

A group of seemingly ordinary merchants is really a band of assassins for hire. When they discover that all the assassins in Edo are being killed they must act quickly to find the culprit.

Not to be confused with Kinji Fukasaku's 1987 film "Hissatsu: Revenge" or ":We'll Get You!" or some other ":vengeance" type moniker. Fukasaku's my favorite director, but I've never read any appraising reviews for that film (which I have, just never watched). So, having glanced over the intro webs and coming across zero smattering reviews for this film, I'm not surprised. Now that doesn't necessarily mean I won't watch this film. Many critics standards can be to high and most of them are probably pompous blowhards. So since it's available on Netflix's, I'm sure to give it a whirl someday. Just not today...or anytime soon. And who the fuck makes up those stupid one liners on the DVD covers ("When Sure Just Isn't Sure Enough")? Fire those assholes. And maybe stone them.

Hulu - Sonny Chiba's Dragon Princess

noreply@blogger.com (Steven P McVey) — Fri, 25 May 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Hulu - Sonny Chiba's Dragon Princess - Watch the full movie now.:

Sonny Chiba's Dragon Princess (1976)

Runtime 1 hr. 19 min.

Studio Anchor Bay Entert...

Genres Action and Adventure

Description: Etsuko "Sue" Shiomi stars as the daughter of a karate master who trains her to be his instrument of revenge against those who permanently crippled him. From the time that she's about eight, her father mercilessly trains her in karate, night and day, excluding school and even friends from the young girl's life. She grows into a reluctant warrior with no life at all outside of her training.Unlike a lot of films that have the same basic plot, DRAGON PRINCESS has at its heart a real sadness for the waste of this poor girl's life. Even if she succeeds at her mission, what then? All she knows is vengeance. The print and film-making quality is not great, but give it a chance for it's unique viewpoint.

Let's make this perfectly clear, as much as the title lures you into thinking this is another outrageous Sonny Chiba vehicle, this film has Etsuko Shihomi in the drivers seat. Chiba's screen time and action is minimal at best. Ever seen one of Etsuko's Sister Street Fighter films, 13 Steps of Maki, The Great Chase? etc. This is what you get. Just like most Chiba martial arts films can be lumped into the terrifically generic Chiba action film, Sue Shihomi films are no different. So if you were to cheap to pony up the $5 for one of those multiply cult film DVDs, now's your chance to catch this film on Hulu. And with the likes of Bin Amatsu, Yasuaki Kurata and kick ass Shihomi, what's not to like. Really! Tell me! I'd like to know.

OTAKU USA (August 2012): GAMERA VS ZIGRA

noreply@blogger.com (Steven P McVey) — Fri, 18 May 2012 10:30:00 +0000

Anime, Manga, Games, Cosplay, JPop:

My, my, looks like some fine reading material brewing in the latest issue of Otaku USA, featuring the Stein's Gate crew on the cover. As for S:G, I haven't seen the anime, but I've read some rather positive reviews for it. Which is good considering the overdose of shit that makes up most of the anime underworld (IMO). To my fans delight (I love you Mom), I have a review in this issue for the world's second favorite kaiju (that's right Mothra, you can suck it!) in Gamera vs Zigra. What can you say about this fine film? Well purchase the mag and read it! Although, it's OG Gamera, what's not to like?!

August 2012
Volume 6, Number 1
On sale May 22nd, 2012

FEATURES
Somewhere In Time
Only The Book of Bantorra could turn librarians into anime superheroes

Page Turner
Enter the world of Chaos;Head and Steins;Gate

Motley Crew
Watching Martian Successor Nadesico feels like a breath of fresh air

Information Overload
Dive into the cyberpunk landscape of Serial Experiments Lain

Year Of The Dragon
Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker is game-inspired anime done right

Next Issue: Volume 6, Number 2 - October 2012, on sale 7/31/12

DEPARTMENTS
EDITORIAL
A Billion Thanks!

LETTERS
YOU ARE NOT ALONE

OTAKU ARSENAL
Pokemon Conquest, Burn Fat with me, Project X Zone, and more!

MANGA PREVIEWS
32 pages of Alice in the Country of Clover: Bloody Twins, The Early and the Fairy and Puella Magi Madoka Magica

TOKYOSCOPE
Space turtle yakuza battle

COSPLAY CROSSFIRE
Cosplayers just want to have fun at Anime Boston!

COSPLAY CAFÉ
Salia, the lead singer of Unicorn table goes solo

MUSIC/J-ROCK
A chat with Layla Lane

OWARI
Top 5 Japanese cyberpunk anime, manga, and movies (according to a Japanese cyberpunk)

Anime Reviews
Space Adventure Cobra
Trinity Blood—Complete Series
Rental Magica—Part 1
Haibane Renmi—Complete Box Set
No. 6
Kaleido Star—Season 1
Allison & Lillia—Generation 1

Game Reviews
Tales of Graces
Armored Core V
Kid Icarus: Uprising
Naruto Shippenden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations
Dillon’s Rolling Western
Resident Evil: Revelations

Manga Reviews
NonNonBa
Rohan at the Louvre
Young Miss Holmes Casebook
Professor Munakata’s British Museum Adventure
The Manga Guide to Linear Algebra
Erementar Gerade
Crime and Punishment: A Falsified Romance
Is This a Zombie?
Morita-san wa Mukuchi
GTO: The Early Years
Fallen Words
Yu-Gi-O! Zexal
Shiawase Restaurant
The Scent of Apple Blossoms
Yebisu Celebrities
Yakuza Cafe
Devil’s Honey

Meet my latest phone crush "Samsung GALAXY S III"

noreply@blogger.com (Steven P McVey) — Sat, 12 May 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Samsung GALAXY S III:

Remember a few posts back I said I found my new phone? I lied. I may extend the truth from time to time, but either way, the Note who? If you even casually follow techie news, you were sure to hear about Samsung's latest Galaxy S phone, which made it's offical appearance on May 3rd. Yes, my last phone crush was also a Samsung Galaxy phone (the Note - stupid Samsung and their regurgitating titles). The GSIII is smaller than the Galaxy Note (not by much, but it is). I figure, since I use my tablet like I use deodorant, I could stand to lose a few inches of screen size for my phone. I need a phone soon, can you believe some low-life, scumbag, motherfucker stole my Dell Streak 5! Can you believe it, in this day and age. And at a Dr's office no less. I know what you're thinking, I lost it. Bull! Those old fogie's or Dr's stole my phone, end of story. So know I'm stuck using an old phone i had which is surprisingly also a Samsung. It sucks, no touchscreen, no apps, no nothing, but it works until I can upgrade.

Here are some SGIII highlights (per Sammy website):

Smart stay - It waits till you’re asleep: so long as you look at the phone, it maintains a bright display.

Direct call - It knows when you want to talk: if you’re messaging and want to call instead, simply lift your phone to your ear and it will dial your friend automatically.

Smart alert - It knows when you’ve been away from your phone - vibrating nudge lets you know missed calls or messages.

Social tag - It keeps track of your loved ones: a glance at your friends’ photos will show you their current SNS status.

S Voice - It responds to your words: you can tell it to wake up, answer, even take a photo.

S Beam - It shares what’s in your heart: place twoSamsung GALAXY S III's back-to-back and you cantransfer pictures, music, videos, and more.

AllShare Cast - It lets you play together: beam your photos, videos - even the game you’re playing - onto big screen, with your phone doubling as a controller.

Buddy - photo share It shares with everyone instantly: as the phone recognizes your friends faces, it can share photos with them instantly.

AllShare Play - It lets you share with everyone: access to documents and multimedia files when you work somewhere else.

Design - inspired by nature: Samsung GALAXY S III’s minimal and organic design is reflected in its smooth and non-linear lines of the device. Its human-centric nature provides an ergonomic and comfortable experience with enhanced usability.

Pop up play - It lets you do two things at once: watch HD videos as you email or text.

Best photo - It sees your best side: automatically takes a burst of 8 to make a continuous scene and chooses the best.

4.8 HD - Super AMOLED Seeing for real: 4.8 inches of hi-definition display, true, perfect color with ultrafast response time.

LTE (depends on country) - Faster download time than current 3G networks. And it’s only going to get faster and faster.
Check out the video, the voice-over sucks (A billion dollar company couldn't hire a better actor? Or at least a hot broad?), but who gives a shit. This phone is like lumberjack hotcakes.

Call of Duty®: Black Ops 2 Official Site

noreply@blogger.com (Steven P McVey) — Sun, 06 May 2012 23:51:00 +0000

Call of Duty®: Black Ops 2 Official Site:

If you like video games and I'm assuming some of you do if you're reading this important blog, then surely you've seen the trailer for Activision's latest Call of Duty game set to hit stores on November 13, 2012. As with the previous Black Ops game, which I personally think is better than Modern Warfare 2, is being handled (again) by Treyarch. I think they did an exceptionally job. Right now, Modern Warfare 3 is getting a lot of shit from gamers, but I love the game and have a blast playing it (except those times when I want to smash my TV with the controller). Based on this trailer alone, I can't say I'm feeling the "future" setting. How are they going to incorporate 1985 weaponry with future arms? I don't think the graphics looks super great either, but what do I know, it's just a trailer. I do know I will be plopping down $60 bucks on this game and I'm already a subscriber to COD: Elite, so that takes care of the DLC that will pop up monthly. Looks like I'll be wasting more time in front of the TV (to my wife's dismay).

Jets Rush to Take Quinton Coples at No. 16

noreply@blogger.com (Steven P McVey) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 11:49:00 +0000

Jets Rush to Take Quinton Coples at No. 16:

The Jets got their pass rusher. And their rusher got his team.

Staying put at the 16th spot in the first round at tonight's NFL Draft, the Green & White selected North Carolina defensive end Quinton Coples, the 6'6", 284-pound senior from North Carolina who was an All-ACC first-teamer after leading the Tar Heels last season with 7.5 sacks and racking up 24 sacks for his four-year career on Chapel Hill.

"Coach Rex Ryan promised me that if I was there at 16, they were going to take me, without a doubt," Coples told Bryan Custer and SNY after making the rounds at Radio City Music Hall following his selection. "Pro day, I think that's when he showed the most interest, when he had me start doing linebacker drills."

Ryan and general manager Mike Tannenbaum both said at a late-night news conference at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center that while they will use his versatility to move him around the defense, he will be launching himself at Tom Brady et al., out of a three-point stance at the start.

"Quinton reminds me of similar type players in Shaun Ellis and Trevor Pryce," Ryan said. "That's the kind of mold, very athletic guys for the 3-4. I think that's a fair comparison.

I don't know how I feel about this pick. Kind of....huh, I guess. From all the mocks and bullshit I've seen, his name was long gone on the draft boards. I was shocked at how many names associated with our pick were still there (Reiff, DeCastro, Ingram, Upshaw etc). Judging by his size, you'd think he is going to bookend with last years 1st round pick, Mo Wilkerson. I was definitely hoping for a OLB, but if this guy turns into a Julius Peppers type of player, I won't complain. If he stinks, I'll be cursing him just like any other draft pick bust. I really hope we go OLB in round 2, but it's the Jets and they never play nice.

NVIDIA / Tegra 3 & Gaming

noreply@blogger.com (Steven P McVey) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 11:00:00 +0000

NVIDIA debuts 4 Tegra 3 games at MWC, sure to keep you occupied:

We have already seen a great game being announced this Mobile World Congress, coming from NVIDIA. If you have seen our hands-on of Sonic 4 Episode 2, you will know that it looks like a great addition to the Tegra game collection. The Hedgehog is not coming alone, though, as there are 4 other games NVIDIA has coming for us.

The new game titles include Golden Arrow THD, Dark Kingdom THD, Eden to GREEEEN THD and Hamilton’s Great Adventure THD. So if you have been waiting to flex your Tegra 3 muscles some more, this flurry of games should keep you busy for quite some time.

Let’s wait to see when these awesome games hit the Tegra Zone market. But for now, you can take a peek at the images and videos below.

Have a Nvidia Tegra 3 phone or tablet? I do! (Asus Transformer Prime) Lucky me. This news is a tad old, but worth bringing up (again). Anyway, I'm not really a gamer guy on the tablet, at least nothing has "wow'd" me to the point where it's a must have, but it's not a bad way to kill time if you're just dickin' around, waiting for the pizza guy to show up. This (in my opinion) will never replace the console, unless the graphics are the pip-pip and transfer is seemless on a 42" HDTV, it's a nice mobile edition though. Shadowgun was ok, but the controls suck,my 2 sheckles.

Slice - it's not just soda pop, it's a lazy shoppers app – Phandroid

noreply@blogger.com (Steven P McVey) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Slice Is A Must-Have Personal Assistant For Online Shopoholics – Now Available For Android:

Every now and again, an app comes along that makes you wonder how you ever got along without it. Slice — released today — is one of those apps. Slice automatically organizes and tracks all of your online purchases inside of its handy app. No more searching through your emails clicking links, coping tracking numbers — Slice will take all of the hassle out of online shopping, giving you the peace of mind of knowing exactly what you’ve paid for and when it’s arriving on your doorstep

If you're like me (sometimes lazy), you refuse to do your shopping in-store (people annoy me), when you have a perfectly good phone, desktop, laptop or tablet to do all you shopping for you. And if you're like me (patient-less), you'll have a bajillion emails cluttering your inbox (because they are all useful in some manner) that it pisses you off to no end when you can't find that email that has the tracking number of your latest and greatest purchase. With this app, problem solved. As stated, it essentially analyzes your emails and posts your "purchased" email items in neatly stacked lists. This includes not only original emails, but tracking numbers and delivery progress as well. So if you shop online, I highly recommend this app. In the words of Outburst (NYHC), Why do things THE HARD WAY?!

Bones Brigade Documentary « Skate and Annoy

noreply@blogger.com (Steven P McVey) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:34:00 +0000

Bones Brigade Documentary « Skate and Annoy:

I’ve been waiting for an official trailer to post on this, but so far the only clip out there is this excerpt. It looks pretty good from this bit, although Stacy comes off a little maniacal. I thought I read that he had resisted making this film. It will be interesting to see if he does more than just the Bones Brigade love fest the fans will eat up considering there was no real drama akin to the trials and tribulations of the Z-boys. Who knows, maybe there’s a bombshell in there somewhere. It did show at Sundance, and the bitterness in Tony’s commentary about the peak of his (first) popularity is a little unexpected. So maybe there’s more than meets the eye. Nostalgia is fine and well, but here’s hoping that we get to see where and what these guys were up to during the crash of the 90′s.

I know this doc came out at Sundance this year but it bears reminding to the masses. I grew skating from the early 80's (tick-tacking on a sunshine plastic banana board) to early 90's. You'd think I would have been really good, but really I was just average (at best). I think the last board I actually purchased ("not borrowed") was a Malba - made for ramps and was a frickin' tank. Where I got the $50 from that is beyond me. I still think my favorite skate video is Skate Visons (pre-Rogowski murdering scum). I actually missed the bones crew when they demoed at Brave New World (surf shop) in Pt. Pleasant, NJ (1987?) and were a no show in Long Branch, NJ. Anyway, I love watching shit like this, nostaligia to this codger. I still say Gonz was a better street skater than Guerrero. Although TG's board is pillsbury fine. I expect the doc to NYC some time this year, if not the DVD (cough*torrent*cough) circuit. If it's anything like Dog Town (the doc, not the movie, which was Dog Shit), it's gonna be gold, pony boy.

Kurotokagi Gumi - Latest Releases

noreply@blogger.com (Steven P McVey) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 10:30:00 +0000

Golgo 13 (1973)

A few weeks ago, the curteous people running Kurotokagi Gumi have issued a another batch of releases for March. Most of these releases seem to be in the Chanbara / Jidai Geki and Series genres, such as Ronin of the Wastelands and Kunoichi Chushingura. Not bad material, but not the sort of bread and butter I prefer from my subbers. But beggers ain't chosers and two films I do fancy myself a looksy is the Junya Sato's version of Golgo 13 starring Ken Takakura and another war film featuring (the Toho stock) Koji Tsuruta, Takakura, Hiroki Matsukata and Shinichi (Sonny) Chiba. I've seen a few JP late 60's/70's war films and they're ok. They generally take the casts from yakuza eigas and throw some military uni's on them, but they are much less exciting. Any way, I guess we're just thankful the black lizard is still in biz. Check out their stock, they have a prime menu. You buy, they stay in biz, pretty simple.

OTAKU USA (JUNE 2012): BRANDED TO KILL (Blu-Ray)

noreply@blogger.com (Steven P McVey) — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Otaku USA - Current Issue:

By now if you're a subscriber to Otaku USA, you should have received the latest issue featuring Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt on the cover. If you scroll over to page 99, you'll feast your eyes on mouth watering scripture not witnessed since the likes of Yeats and Hemingway. Ok, maybe not. Reading through it again, some sentences are downright atrocious. My sentence structure is about as solid as my weak constitution. Either way, those quirky folks who run the mag published my review for Criterion's bluray release of Seijun Suzuki's Brand To Kill. It's not my favorite movie (I don't hate it), but it's one of those films I think enthusiasts exaggerate about it's innovation and greatness. You'll have to read it if you really want to know what I think of the film and the DVD. That's right! Pull up those big boy pants and pony up those lootcakes. If you subscribe now...I don't know, you don't pass go, you don't collect $200. But you will get some good reads.

They’re No Angels!

Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt redefines raunchy anime comedy

Mystery Science Theater

Enter the world of Chaos;Head andSteins;Gate

Duel Of The Fates!

Fate/Stay Night wages a war of mythical proportions

Deep Thought

Fractale is sci-fi anime at its best, but bring your thinking cap

Kingdom Come

The Legend of Legendary Heroesplays its very own Game of Thrones

EDITORIAL

Nonstop in Tokyo

LETTERS

the Otaku USA wayback machine

OTAKU ARSENAL

BABYMETAL, Xenoblade, Resident Evil 6, and more!

MANGA PREVIEWS

32 pages of A Devil and Her Love Song, Drops of God Volume 3, and Is This a Zombie? Volume 1

TOKYOSCOPE

Branded desperation

COSPLAY CROSSFIRE

Welcome to the Victorian Age!

COSPLAY CAFÉ

Today we’ll visit a unique butler café!

MUSIC/J-ROCK

Must-hear music

OWARI

Interview with Yoshihiro Sono

Anime Reviews
Shiki
Ouran High School Host Club—Complete Series
Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple Collection 2
Dragonaut: The Resonance
Golgo 13: Collection 4
Wagnaria!! Complete Series
Lupin the 3rd Complete 1st Season

Game Reviews
Mario Kart 7
Mighty Switch Force
Hakuouki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom
Pushmo
Katawa Shoujo
Amy

Manga Reviews
The Bible: A Japanese Manga Rendition
The Innocent
Shugo Chara Chan!
GTO: 14 Days in Shonan
Kamen
Durarara!!
Gen Manga
Gokudou Meshi
Pure Pure Kiss
Tsugumomo
Hyakusho Kizoku
Ekiben Hitoritabi
Sherlock Holmes
Oku-san’s Daily Fantasy
Love Pistols
Husband, Honeymoon
The Bed of My Dear King

Silverspoon Ninja Kids On Park Ave!!! | Asia Society

noreply@blogger.com (Steven P McVey) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Ninja Kids!!! | Asia Society:

Ninjia Kids!!!
JAPAN, TAKASHI MIIKE, 2011, 100 MIN
RECOMMENDED AGES: 8 TO ADULT (SUBTITLED)
From the twisted mind of Takashi Miike comes an insane new kids’ flick about a feuding ninja school – a riotous kung-fu comedy that easily earns all three exclamation points in its title. Little Rantaro comes from a long line of low-ranking ninjas, so when the time comes to leave the family farm to enter ninja school himself he is determined to study hard. Yet despite their dedication in star-throwing, explosives, and rock-climbing, Rantaro’s first year class is so inept that the headmaster declares an early summer vacation and sends them all home.
But the youngsters will get to earn their stars yet – after being challenged by a rival clan, the first-years must race to ring the bell at a mountaintop temple to save the school. Brilliant in its excess and bursting with joyous energy from the infectious young cast, the film is loaded with non-stop visual gags, dopey villains, adorable ninja trainees, and one very informative “friendly ninja trivia commentator” (as well as a musical back-story about a ninja-turned-hairdresser, sung mock operatic under a shower of falling flower petals). To quote one reviewer: Your jaw will drop like an elevator with a snapped cable. Be sure to stay for the end credits!

Takashi Miike's Ninja Kids is playing at the Asia Society (Park Ave b/t 70-71st St.). I've never seen the movie but the odds are pretty good I will never ever see this movie. I like all things ninja, from Enter to Beverly and Sho to Godfrey Ho. But this film doesn't have any appeal to it. If you (or me) had kids, certainly this would highlight the beginning of the afternoon.

Spice and Wolf Manga 6 / Yen Press . March 27th

noreply@blogger.com (Steven P McVey) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 12:00:00 +0000

As Lawrence and Holo put the final phase of their plan to extricate themselves from the jaws of financial ruin into motion, they are confronted by an unforeseen obstacle. With the wolves at the door - both figuratively and literally - can the travelers keep their wits about them and come out ahead of the pack?

Spice and Wolf Graphic Novel 6:

Story by Isuna Hasekura and Art by Keito Koume.

Spice & Wolf Manga 6 (or graphic novel, which ever you prefer) will be released on March 27th. The latest manga offers a conclusion to the second arc of the novel/anime. I'll pick this up but they need to tighten the manga up as far as how many novels cover a book. I can't complain (I can - and doing so right now) about this though, at least Yen Press is translating / releasing the manga. I'm more excited about novel #6 that will be released this summer (June). This will be the second "new" material released in the US (the first being novel #4). What scares (annoys) me is I haven't seen any signs of a pre-order or release dates for anything after Manga or Novel 6. Last I heard from someone at yen press (during novel 5) was they had no intentions of stop releasing this series. Let's just hope that is't PR bullshit. I don't know how well either medium is selling (hopefully like hotcakes), but if I don't get to see this series to the end, I might have a rage heart attack or spoil myself on the introwebs. I don't ask for much (sometimes), but give a dying nerd his wish for cryin' outloud!

Samsung Galaxy SIII spec leaks (My next phone?)

noreply@blogger.com (Steven P McVey) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 12:30:00 +0000

So far during the Mobile World Congress this week, HTC seems to be setting the pace for Android smartphone announcements. Four new handsets have been detailed, all carrying the new HTC One name.

One phone we didn’t expect to hear about during MWC, mainly because Samsung said they wouldn’t be talking about it, is the Galaxy SIII. However, someone seems to have leaked the basic spec to BGR, and it looks very impressive (if true).

At the heart of the SIII will be a 1.5GHz quad-core Exynos system on a chip, meaning it’s most likely the Exynos 4412, a 32nm ARMv7 chip that can run anywhere from 1.5GHz to 1.8GHz. The SII used a dual-core Exynos 4210 and Mali-400 GPU. For the SIII no specific GPU has been confirmed.

A 1.5GHz quad-core chip offers up a lot of performance, but the SIII is going to need it as Samsung has apparently squeezed a 16:9, 1080p display into the unit. It’s no small screen either, measuring a pocket-bulging 4.8-inches.

We also know it will ship in a ceramic casing, runs Android 4.0, supports 4G LTE, and includes two cameras: 2MP on the front and 8MP on the back.

This is just a rumor for the moment, but if it turns out to be true then the Galaxy SIII certainly sets the standard for Android 4.0 phones this year. The only aspect of this leak that seems a bit strange is the 1080p display. Even HTC only managed to fit a 1280 x 720 display in their newly announced 4.7-inch HTC One X and XL.

Samsung Galaxy SIII spec leaks, includes 1080p display – Cell Phones & Mobile Device Technology News & Updates | Geek.com:

I've ranting about wanting the Samsung Galaxy Note (5.3" screen) for a while. As an unhappy Dell Streak 5 owner, I love the large screen. I recently reverted the streak back to the Dell Stage UI and it actually runs great. ADW and Launcher Pro were lag happy and made me want to smash the phone to a million pieces. Anyway, I've always wanted the Note, that is until I purchased the Asus Transformer Prime tablet. I use my tablet just about every second I'm home. So much so, that I don't feel like I need to substitute my current phone with a similar sized product. And their seems to be many devices in the 4.6" range from many providers. Lately news has been leaked about Samsung's latest phone in the Galaxy S line (SGIII). The glaring difference between this phone and the SGII is the bezel-less design. It's hot phone. Rumors of it's April release date have be debunked by Samsung. Hopefully it will be out by July when my upgrade is available. Either way, it's a phone worth keeping an eye out for.