Horror Report

Tag: pop culture

  • WIRED magazines opines: Discontinuing the NES Classic Is a Classic Nintendo Mistake

    WIRED magazines opines: Discontinuing the NES Classic Is a Classic Nintendo Mistake

    WIRED magazines opines: Discontinuing the NES Classic Is a Classic Nintendo Mistake:

    All of this written by Julie Muncy at WIRED:

    Considering the dizzying popularity of the NES Classic—Nintendo reported in January that they had sold 1.5 million units—it’s difficult to find the logic in ending production. The product’s entire brief life seems, in hindsight, to have been a rolling disaster: Product shortages popped up almost immediately upon release in November, and even now, four months after the holiday season is over, Nintendo still hasn’t managed to overcome the scarcity issues. Repeatedly, Nintendo has stated that they were surprised by the high demand for the micro console and their supply chains struggled to product enough units to accommodate it.

    It shouldn’t have surprised the company, though—and the fact that it did is awfully telling. Preloaded with 30 original NES games, the Classic offered an entire generation of Nintendo fans an easy way to play games that they hadn’t spent time with in years. It’s a different, broader audience than the type likely to buy a dedicated Nintendo home console like the Wii U or Switch, and it hit all the right buttons at a time when the availability of classic Nintendo products was at an all-time low.

    This points to an ongoing problem that has plagued the company for years: Nintendo doesn’t seem to understand, or be interested in, the ongoing interest and affection people have for their old games. People, whether they consider themselves gamers or not, want to play Mario games, want to remember what it was like to catch Pikachu for the first time, want to feel the thrill of getting the Master Sword in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Nostalgia is a hell of a drug, and videogames in general are excellent at evoking it.

    And I couldn’t agree more.

     

  • THE EASTER EGG BOTCH AT THE WHITE HOUSE

    THE EASTER EGG BOTCH AT THE WHITE HOUSE

    This year’s annual Easter Egg roll may be newsworthy for all the wrong reasons.. Donald Trump is busy threatening war with Kim Jong UN and dropping MOABs on Afghanistan, and that is removing headlines from what would have otherwise been a large embarrassment for the Commander in Chief: The Easter Egg roll could shape up to be a hefty disaster..

    The White House, busy dismantling much of the administrative state that existed, forgot to order the eggs! Someone then must have realized that 35,000 people would be guests this weekend. Whoops.
    Then the rush order for eggs were places, but the White House forgot to send the VIP military tickets that usually are sent. Then they forgot to order up big named entertainers for the guests… Then they forgot to send out invites for the normal number of 4,000 DC children at public schools–ones that get the tickets yearly.

    According to published reports, last minute (holy crap moments) requests were sent to PBS KIDS for Sesame Street characters–something ironic given that the Trump budget would completely zero out the puppets from PBS..

    And finally…members of Congress and their families have yet to be invited.

    Making Easter Great Again.

  • South Koreans celebrate ‘black day’ with noodles while nuclear war threats get made

    South Koreans celebrate ‘black day’ with noodles while nuclear war threats get made

    REUTERS reports this interesting piece of information: 

    Many South Koreans marked “Black Day” on Friday, but it had nothing to do with concerns that North Korea may conduct a weapons test, or that the United States, the South’s main ally, may launch a pre-emptive strike to stop it.

    It had nothing to do with Good Friday or Black Friday either.

    “Black Day” in South Korea is a day for singles, marked by eating “jajangmyeon”, a noodle dish topped with a thick sauce made of black beans. It’s celebrated by singles as a response to “White Day”, an Asian Valentine’s Day which falls a month earlier, on March 14.

    If you lived under a rock for the past few days (I envy you to a degree if you did) North Korea tensions are potentially at the highest level in my lifetime.. even more so, the tension around the world seems to be duplicative of what happened during the Cuban Missile in the Kennedy era…

    But this story about South Korea’s reaction is what interested me more, at least culturally, than the threat of nuclear end times..

    You may recall that during the run-up to war in the Gulf in 1991, Kuwait was partying hard in the metro districts and eating fancy foods in the restaurants..  War broke out yet there was a peculiar distance so many had, even though they were close by. While I cannot say a comparison is appropriate between the Koreas and Kuwait, it certainly is fascinating to realize that the North’s Southern neighbors are living their single life the same way as they would have despite the Navy destroyers and special OPS threatening to doom the cheese-loving North Korean leader.

    More from REUTERS:

    As tensions grew to a fever pitch elsewhere over the likelihood of North Korea conducting a nuclear or long-range missile test, possibly this weekend, there was little sign of concern in South Korea’s capital, Seoul, which lies within range of the North’s artillery.

    “Outside South Korea, some people are worried, but we don’t feel like that in our daily lives,” said Choi Na-young, an office worker in central Seoul.

    “All I can do is just try my best and work hard,” said Choi, as she queued for noodles with colleagues. “So no matter what the outside world thinks, I came here to enjoy Black Day”.

    “Black Day” was trending on Twitter and was the leading news item on the Naver web portal in South Korea, which has one of the world’s highest percentage of Internet users as a percentage of population.

    The nonchalance about the possibility of conflict with the North has grown in recent years in the South, which remains technically in a state of war with its neighbor. The 1950-53 war between the two ended in an armistice, and no peace treaty was signed.

    And the rest is history.
    Or will be…
    Enjoy black day while you can. The darkness of war may threaten the land.

  • Reviewer writes that she is Haunted By ‘Get Out’ — But Not Because It’s A Horror Film

    Reviewer writes that she is Haunted By ‘Get Out’ — But Not Because It’s A Horror Film

    Reviewer writes that she is Haunted By ‘Get Out’ — But Not Because It’s A Horror Film:

    GET OUT continues to garner media praise and reviewer praise alike.. while not at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes at this point, the film is still scoring above 97% and is widely loved by professional and amateur reviews alike..

    The latest interesting perspective comes from Shira Hirschman Weiss. She wrote this in the HUFFINGTON POST, linked above:

    Without spoiling Get Out, I will say that as a woman whose skin is pale, I came away pensive. In the resulting week, I’m more perplexed. The movie was incredibly powerful, but it highlighted for me how we can all make buffoons of ourselves in the face of diversity. In an ultra-PC environment ― that Donald Trump notoriously seems to shun ― there are several types of Americans. Among them are the blatant racists and of the other extreme, those who want to prove how un-racist they are that they end up overdoing it.

    GET OUT is a prime example of horror done right: Elements of fear coupled with the modern societal horrors of a generation.. without being spoken, it can be a commentary on our world. Truly done well.

    Expect a long term ramification from GET OUT.. long term results with more movies like it to follow. Especially during the hyper-political era of Donald Trump..

  • Will SNL get old?

    Will SNL get old?

    coalspeaker:

    The NEW YORK TIMES has a good story about how, just maybe, the constant Trump humor on SNL will get to be overdone.. too much.. stale..

    FROM THE TIMES

    If President Trump’s shock-and-awe attack on truth, decorum and liberal sensibilities is intended to bludgeon his opponents into submission, “Saturday Night Live” felt like his latest victim this weekend.

    Not that the show, which has been one of his most outspoken and popular antagonists, didn’t remain on the attack. Melissa McCarthy reprised her savage impersonation of Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, and Alec Baldwin (in his 17th appearance as host) donned his flaxen wig and prosthetic jowls to play Mr. Trump in a “People’s Court” sketch mocking the president’s attempts to have his travel ban reinstated. Kate McKinnon — who, in a Tatiana Maslany-style tour de force, also appeared as Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Senator Elizabeth Warren — played the presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway trying to seduce her way onto CNN in a “Fatal Attraction” spoof.

    And this

    Ms. McCarthy opened the show as Mr. Spicer, and the news-briefing sketch was again the high point. Its simple premise — take the thin-skinned, venomous attitude and brazen duplicity the Trump administration has exhibited and render them as naked, schoolyard-bully aggression — was still effective, coupled with Ms. McCarthy’s absolute commitment.

    But the sketch was even more underwritten than before, name-checking controversies rather than illuminating them, which has been true of most of the show’s Trump-related material. In the absence of new ideas, old ones recycled from last week’s sketch were simply amped up: The wad of chewing gum was bigger, the weaponized rostrum was now motorized. The physical attacks on reporters here included an assault with a leaf blower, which was jolting and kind of fascinating when the machine was pointed at the face of a reporter played by Ms. Strong, but not so funny when it was used to blow her skirt up over her head.

    A few points of fairness to be pointed out.. First of all, even George W. Bush did not face the lampooning of this nature like Trump. Obama? The most that Lorne Michaels gave him were jokes about his opponents or his ears.. It was lame. Eight years of really un-funny political parody. 

    The Trump material is funny and quite frankly putting a really pungently stale SNL back on the map again. But for how long?

    The NYT article correctly mentions that already the Spicer material is getting .. well .. old. Already.

    It was funny, sure. And actually the motorized podium was great. But it was simply copying off of what worked last week, and not what should work based on the lampooning.

    SNL does this a lot.

    Politics aside, Saturday Night LIVE has often become mired in its characters.. the cheerleaders.. the girl who smelled her armpits. They just used taglines and did tag-things for applause and cheap laughs. Funny at first but quickly stale.

    That is not being critical of the Baldwin portrayal of Trump (though I think Hammond is the most unfairly forgotten since his impression was almost 100% accurate and spot on) .. and certainly not saying Melissa McCartney didn’t already create a classic comedy character.

    But my point really is this: Politics, in itself, is getting to us.

    Before SNL began last night, the REAL Donald Trump appeared at a late Saturday night ‘news’ event with the Japanese prime minster. North Korea launched a missile and the US was forced to respond .. or at least let Japan respond and us support. Then the comedy of SNL began.

    Netflix has a new show about race.
    A new horror movie coming out about race..
    The Super Bowl and its commercials featured debates about politics and what team are friends with the Donald. It’s all too much.

    SNL is not unfunny but may become the victim of the over-doing of political comedy. Political nightmares. 

    And if SNL does what it has always done, it will do just that… overdo a character to the point of exhaustion.

    Until then, enjoy the show.

  • Horror movie fans celebrate Valentine’s Day too!

    Horror movie fans celebrate Valentine’s Day too!

    Marketing mayhem across America! Hearts and roses, flowers and dinners.. major nervousness starts to set in when you don’t have the perfect gift by about, oh… this weekend.. Valentine’s Day is coming fast. Pop Culture tells us that we need to have a gift in our back pocket at the ready for the special day.

    Horror movie fans can take comfort that there are some special gifts for them, too.. You just have to know where to find them.

    I have scoured the net over the past few days in the fleeting moments of free time I have to propose a listing of some of the better arrangements you can find for horror fans in our life..


    This is perfect for an Edgar Allen Poe fan in your life.. and it’s actually quite beautiful to behold. Edgar Allen Poe Quote Printed on Recycled Vintage Dictionary Paper .. the frame is not included but you can spice it up with a visit to your favorite craft store to find something authentic looking to match the idea..


    If you are not too creeped out by the prospect of a ouija board around your neck, this could be perfect. It’s a Ouija Board Necklace and it’s got 5 star ratings. But who moving it!


    I love this SHINING embroidery art.. This embroidery features the word “Redrum” from one of our favourite movies, The Shining, as well as a bloody axe underneath .. and it’s hand made.


    This seems very quaint and pretty.. Skeletal Flower “Anatommy” (Black and Red) ..


    This is actually quite beautiful … A Long Stem 24k Dipped Gold Trim Black Rose With Gift Box.. 11-13 Inches in Length.. Nothing says love like a gold trim black rose..


    Splendid Premiium milk chocolate Hollow Skulls 10.5 oz.. Really not completely crazy about it. Maybe I’d rather the Hersheys version:

    and if all else fails to impress.. maybe keep it simple. A dinner. And a movie:

  • IMDB SHUTTING DOWN MESSAGE BOARDS!

    IMDB SHUTTING DOWN MESSAGE BOARDS!

    Goodbye old century! 

    The new net of Facebook, less creativity, and ‘socials’ is here.. the ghetto of socials..

    Take this news for instance: IMDB is announcing on its site that a primary reason so many have visited and stayed through the years is going away. Their message boards are over February 20 ..

    No love is in the air after Valentine’s Day.

    From the announcement: 

    IMDb is the world’s most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content. As part of our ongoing effort to continually evaluate and enhance the customer experience on IMDb, we have decided to disable IMDb’s message boards on February 20, 2017. This includes the Private Message system. After in-depth discussion and examination, we have concluded that IMDb’s message boards are no longer providing a positive, useful experience for the vast majority of our more than 250 million monthly users worldwide. The decision to retire a long-standing feature was made only after careful consideration and was based on data and traffic.

    Increasingly, IMDb customers have migrated to IMDb’s social media accounts as the primary place they choose to post comments and communicate with IMDb’s editors and one another. IMDb’s Facebook page (http://ift.tt/1ulSoDG) and official Twitter account (https://twitter.com/imdb) have an audience of more than 10 million engaged fans. IMDb also maintains official accounts on Snapchat (http://ift.tt/2kxzCzS), Pinterest (http://ift.tt/1QJ17hJ), YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/imdb), and Tumblr (http://imdb.tumblr.com/).

    Because IMDb’s message boards continue to be utilized by a small but passionate community of IMDb users, we announced our decision to disable our message boards on February 3, 2017 but will leave them open for two additional weeks so that users will have ample time to archive any message board content they’d like to keep for personal use. During this two-week transition period, which concludes on February 19, 2017, IMDb message board users can exchange contact information with any other board users they would like to remain in communication with (since once we shut down the IMDb message boards, users will no longer be able to send personal messages to one another). We regret any disappointment or frustration IMDb message board users may experience as a result of this decision.

    IMDb is passionately committed to providing innovative ways for our hundreds of millions of users to engage and communicate with one another. We will continue to enhance our current offerings and launch new features in 2017 and beyond that will help our customers communicate and express themselves in meaningful ways while leveraging emerging technologies and opportunities.

    I have long been interested in the changing and twisting habit of NET goers.. When I was young it was AOL messenger, chat rooms, and really brilliant people in message boards espousing their beliefs on just about anything.

    Those days are gone.. being anonymous is gone.. your name in bold print is here.

    And with each shut down of old style technology, the ghetto of social media breeds bad habits.

    Sorry to say, but keep Facebook. I know I’m on it.. 
    Twitter and Instagram too.
    But the real debate and fun was on 20th century internet websites that are dying every day.

    Goodbye old web.
    Welcome to the devolution of conversation inspired by corporate elites who save every keystroke and sell it.

  • THE ANTI SOCIAL MEDIA. AND ALL THE BAD FRIENDSHIPS. You are…

    THE ANTI SOCIAL MEDIA. AND ALL THE BAD FRIENDSHIPS. You are…

    THE ANTI SOCIAL MEDIA. AND ALL THE BAD FRIENDSHIPS.

    You are being a bad friend!!

    So says a new article posted in the NEW YORK POST, all about how our constant reliance on social media is creating a terrible person out of everyone.

    And I believe it.
    We are getting winded by the steady stream of 24/7 junk. This election had consequences, too.. we just delved deeper into a pile of excrement on a daily basis of politics..

    Real friendships aren’t online. Real friendships can be aided by social media.. but just quicky skimming through a feed and casually liking things and forgetting ten seconds later what you saw is the most repugnant form of friendship one can find.. and it’s very ‘BLACK MIRROR’ish to be perfectly honest..

    I went back to my 2015 year in review and 2016 predictions. I actually am going to toot a horn. One prediction was that social media would wane, and that we would all find real ways to connect to people again. I sense that is happening.

    I think the quicker it happens, the better it will be..

  • Black Mirror Mania: I love this show

    Black Mirror Mania: I love this show

    I love this show.. I have avidly watched it since the program’s inception onto NETFLIX.. The pigs.. The tech… The lessons of morality and the consequences of people’s dirty deeds online. The future is now. Evident in this program: The cautionary tales of horror that can happen when tech goes wrong and the virtue of an honest life..

    The newest season of Black Mirror was loaded onto Netflix around Halloween. Due to a lack of time, I have yet to watch about 1 and a half more episodes. But the pure joy I have in doing so makes me actually want to take it slow.

    I recall quickly moving through the entire series of STRANGER THINGS. By the time it was done, I wanted to go back and start from the beginning.

    Black Mirror is a bit different. Each program makes you ponder more than the next.. Each show has twists and turns that throw your mind into a loop of madness. Each program makes you feel like it’s real and, equally so, feel a sense of dread for our collective Internet-driven future.

    The far best episode in the entire series thus far (my opinion of course) is ‘Hated in the Nation.’ Some others only call this episode solid but ‘unremarkable’ but I think it is brilliant.


    It takes into account a dwindling bee population and how our society may delve into tech to save the planet, and terrorism, hacking , assassination, murder, and espionage. Along with a lot of fun grammatical uses of the F and C word for emphasis. The show was pure joy.. It was over an hour long and could have easily been a successful box office hit. But thankfully because of Black Mirror and Netflix, we can have the show beamed right to our electronic devices.


    In Hated in the Nation, a technology company invents a high tech drone bee to pollinate the planet. During a hack attack, someone gets the chance to control the bee population to use it for murder. A ‘hash tag’ battle begins on social media. And the person most hated in the nation becomes a victim. That is just the beginning. It weaves itself into a moral play and a final act of redemption during the post-modem and Mortem.

    You just have to watch it to understand what I am talking about.. It has quickly become of the best shows/movies/things I have ever watched.

    I have grown to despise so many vast portions of social media while… Of course… Using it as well. Hashtags and red flags abound … I just can’t stomach seeing the ‘trending’ words of the day. I hate myself for often looking.. But it’s how we get news. Opinions. Statements. Hell, it’s how we picked a president in 2016!

    Social media.
    And antisocial disorder. They go together so well.

    Black Mirror’s HATED IN THE NATION is a must watch for those nervous about social media’s power, or for those who think they can act on devices without consequence.
    There are consequences.
    Perhaps in the future, the consequences will be fatal and final.

  • Kate McKinnon Opens ‘SNL’ As Hillary Clinton Singing “Hallelujah”

    Kate McKinnon Opens ‘SNL’ As Hillary Clinton Singing “Hallelujah”

    Kate McKinnon Opens ‘SNL’ As Hillary Clinton Singing “Hallelujah” :

    It was somewhat a surreal moment.. when comedy stops and drama begins. It was also very melodramatic…

    This entire week, a certain portion of the nation has felt like the world was ending.. like the end may have already actually happened on November 8 .. The other half is just keeping their heads down and waiting to see how their candidate will govern..

    And the protests rage…
    And now, SNL stops their comedy and treats the election more like 9/11 than 11/9..

    It also shows that SNL’s political stance is solidly blue–we knew that–but that Lorne Micheals isn’t yet sure who will play Donald Trump on the progam. Alec Baldwin was famous for it over the past few weeks. So famous that even then NOT President-Elect Trump tweeted about him not being funny..

    Not sure if the President-Elect will tweet about such mundane things now that he is receiving daily intelligence briefings… time will tell.