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Wednesday Link-Off: Use the Force

daisy-ridley-starwars15-01I’m not sure whether I should start this post by saying after a ten-year wait or a thirty-two-year wait. It’s been ten years since the prequel trilogy ended but we’re 32 years past the conclusion of the original trilogy that The Force Awakens picks up from. I’ve basically sequestered myself from all things Star Wars since the trailer in October so I’m going in nearly blind. As I mentioned earlier this week, we’re planning a movie review podcast at some point soon to talk Star Wars.

There are no Star Wars links in today’s set of links. However, that doesn’t mean that we can’t start with Daisy Ridley who stars in the new movie.

A former Romney staffer got into a Donald Trump focus group and found his party completely broken. (The Daily Beast)

Ted Cruz is vaulting up the Republican primary polls but is he any better than either Trump or Carson? (Rolling Stone)

For the next few weeks, the battle will be between Trump and Cruz. I’m still hoping that Rubio surges up the polls. He seems like one of the more sensible candidates now that Christie skewed hard right to make up for getting along with Obama post Hurricane Sandy. (Vox)

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Star Wars Merchandise Fails of the Week

Instead of our normal Fails of the Week, since it’s Star Wars Week on the blog, it’s a special edition of the Star Wars Fails of the Week. While I’m sure we could have just put up Episodes I and II along with George’s changes to the original trilogy and called it a day, I thought I’d go for something more epic. Today is the weirdest, wackiest and failiest pieces of Star Wars merchandise. It’s not just Disney stuff either. LucasFilm had some odd merch too.

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Dark Lords of the Sith: An Infographic

It’s almost here. We’re just a couple of days away from the premiere of Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens. No, I don’t know what we have planned for it in terms of a review. Maybe Jackie and I will do a special Lowdown podcast to review it. Maybe we’ll just do dueling written reviews. We’ll have something but that’s for after the movie.

Before the movie, we have to have a little bit of a Star Wars celebration. For today’s entry into a hastily planned and assembled Star Wars Week, we have a handy little infographic that looks at the Sith in the current canon. There was quite a bit more famous Sith of the past before the Disney retcon. Now, we’re down to just seven canon Sith Lords.

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Sunday Link-Off: Gone in 13 Seconds

heidi-klum-galore15-06Did anyone tune into UFC 194 expecting an absolute war between Conor McGregor and Jose Aldo? We got an epic but I don’t think you could call a one-punch, thirteen-second fight a war. I figured that Aldo would keep Conor out of reach with leg kicks until they went to the ground. Maybe that was the plan but I don’t think that you can enact it in 13 seconds.

Anyway, it’s Sunday which means it’s time for us to do the links. Let’s change things up for today and kick off the post with Heidi Klum. She may be in her 40s but there’s still an easy 13 seconds joke to be made here.

Following the Trump plan to ban Muslims from America, President Obama used his weekly address to warn that such public discrimination against Muslims only serves to help ISIS. (The Hill)

Interestingly, a recent poll suggests that nearly two-thirds of Americans are scared about Trump in the White House. I’m thinking of moving if he’s elected and I don’t even live in America. Tierra del Fuego seems like a sufficiently isolated part of the world. (New York Post)

“America does have a cybersecurity problem – but the NSA is part of it.” (The Guardian)

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Entertainment Link-Off: The Awakening

shay mitchellOh we’re just counting down the days as Star Wars is about to hit cinemas in a matter of days! There aren’t any big notable releases as everyone is trying to shy away from the box office juggernaut. Perhaps it’s a good time to catch up on all the TV shows! Anyway, let’s kick off the ELO with Shay Mitchell. Now I’m thinking I should start tuning into Pretty Little Liars…

After the jump, MadTV reunion is on its way, Lionsgate wants Hunger Games prequels, The Good Dinosaur isn’t so good for Pixar, movie trailers galore including X-Men: Apocalypse and imagine Downton Abbey with American accents. Continue reading →

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Doctor Who: Hell Bent Review

doctor-who-hell-bentAnother season of Doctor Who has come and gone. With an emphasis on longer stories, the individual episodes of Doctor Who have been very up and down this season. While I don’t think that Hell Bent was as strong as last week’s Heaven Sent, it serves as a fitting sendoff to what Steven Moffat wants us to feel about Clara.

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Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Video Games

Final Fantasy VII Remake to be Released Episodically and Why That’s Dangerous

final-fantasy-vii-remake-logoI felt a great disturbance in gaming, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened.

Over the weekend, Square Enix released the first look at gameplay from their upcoming remake of Final Fantasy VII. This included a look at part of Midgar as well as the opening assault on a Mako reactor. Not surprisingly, the whole of the internet was excited about it though there were some concerned with some of the changes that SquEnix has already shown off for FF7 Remake.

What didn’t sit well with gamers were some of the quieter announcements that Square Enix made about the game in a press release that seems to have gone to selected outlets. Square Enix quietly announced that Final Fantasy VII Remake will be a “multi-part series.”

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Wednesday Link-Off: Trump Card

nina-dobrev-interview15-02At what point does the laughing stop and the worrying begin? The world has had a laugh at a reality TV star running for President but his rhetoric has gone from generally false to quite possibly dangerous. At what point do people wonder if he can actually lead America and the world or if he’s just spouting policy rather than a plan?

Anyway, it’s time for us to do the links. Let’s get started with Nina Dobrev.

After Donald Trump announced his plans to ban Muslims from entering America, Arianna Huffington changed her publication’s stance on Trump coverage. Instead of treating him as a sideshow, the full might of the politics team would be devoted to unbiased coverage of the Republican frontrunner. The truth won’t set the GOP free, though. (Huffington Post)

For all the fear-mongering that Trump does when it comes to Muslims, he sure likes to do business with them. (Washington Post)

Also convenient omitted from stories following the San Bernardino shooting is that Saudi Arabia has once again managed to not be mentioned in the narrative about terrorism. (CBC News)

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Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Video Games

The PlayStation Experience 2015 Game Trailer Roundup

playstation-experience-2015There’s not one but two video game trailer roundups today. The first one comes from this year’s PlayStation Experience event that Sony held over the weekend to celebrate all things PlayStation and generate a little bit of hype as we cross the halfway point between this year’s and next year’s E3.

The PlayStation Experience had a lot of new footage and new games unveiled at the show this year. I’m thinking that it might worth saving up for a press trip there instead of E3. Anyway, we have 18 trailers from PSX to show you including a story trailer for Uncharted 4, the first look at gameplay of the Final Fantasy VII remake and the unveiled Ni No Kuni II.

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Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Video Games

The Game Awards Trailer Roundup

The Game Awards were last week. As expected, with the exception of a pretty significant #FucKonami moment, the majority of the interest in the TGAs were focused on new trailers and game premieres that make The Game Awards the show that we know and don’t really love. It’s basically a light, condensed version of E3.

Anyway, there were 11 new trailers shown during last night’s three-hour The Game Awards show and apparently only Best Shooter wasn’t mentioned during the show, Games for Change’s winner was the only mention of that category and most of The Witcher 3’s awards were mentioned when it picked up Game of the Year. So that’s probably an improvement. And there four new game reveals that we have for you as well. Telltale Games and Xbox had five trailers between them on the night so if you’re a fan of them, there’s lots for you here.

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