All posts by benheck

Video Games

Wanted – Xbox 360 Slim (Found!)

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Argh! They’re just taunting me with all the 360 Slims sitting around doing nothing! Unfair! Cruel!

I know what you’re thinking. “Why didn’t you buy one already? Didn’t you get a PS3 Slim before Best Buy even put them out on the floor?” Yes, true. But ironically, I was at E3 all last week and by time I got home, they were sold out.  Security at E3 let me pick one up and look at the bottom, but that was about it.

So now I’m looking for one, very interested in analyzing it to see if I can make a cheaper / better Xbox 360 laptop, or Pelican unit for use by troops overseas.

Thanks to Bradley Metrock for digging one up for me! He’ll have first crack at whatever I build with it…. 🙂

Podcasts

Benheck.com Podcast Episode 74 – E3 Edition

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In today’s timely episode, we’re not going to speculate on new products like we normally do. Nonsense! Rather, we’re going to report directly on what we’ve played right here at E3. Highlights include:

1) Xbox 360 Kinect, formerly known as Natal.

2) Jones taking a voyeuristic photo of Jessica Chobot.

3) PlayStation Move

…and, in a rare case of me liking something from modern Nintendo…

4) The Nintendo 3DS.

Also includes impressions of Rock Band 3, OnLive service, Nintendo booth’s resemblance to a strip club and much, much more.

Listen to Benheck.com Podcast Episode 74

www.benheckpodcast.com

Movies

Movie Prediction Madness: June 11th-13th

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It’s time once again for Movie Prediction Madness! Well I was wrong last week about Marmaduke, but that’s OK because if me being wrong means one less terrible movie is successful, so be it! Let’s move onto this week, shall we?

#1 The A-Team

The first of this weekend’s 1980’s retreads is “The A-Team”, a movie based on a show I watched religiously as a child yet hardly remember (see also: “Dukes of Hazard”)

I am basing this #1 prediction off seeing the trailer during a packed showing of “Iron Man 2: The Suit Would Never Fit In That Briefcase And Even If It Did You Wouldn’t Be Able to Lift It”. Despite the “A-Team” trailer not being very funny (or having any welding scenes) people reacted to it very strongly. The trailer for “Prince of Persia” got crickets, and it still made $32 million opening. “A-Team” should be able to do at least as well.

This has been a very weak summer thus far, so something’s gotta open decent eventually. I mean, besides “Toy Story 3” and “Twilight”.

#2 The Karate Kid

…a movie about Kung-Fu, not karate. Maybe it doesn’t matter, “Mummy 3” contained NO mummies whatsoever (or Rachel Weisz) and it still made a decent chunk o’ change.

Wil Smith’s kid stars along with Jackie Chan. I have recently determined the reasoning for a lot of these remakes. People my age who grew up with movies like “Karate Kid” now have kids of their own. Apparently we see ads for this new one and think “Oh, I remember that movie as formulatic, safe fun. I’ll take my kids to something live-action for a change.”

This may not open as high as “A-Team” but it could hang in there as a sleeper hit, like “The Blind Side” or “insert-generic-but-crowd-pleasing-sports-movie-here”.

Old Releases

Shrek 4 will still hang in there, of course, since it has “Shrek” in the title. Probably as #3, or maybe just above “Kung Fu Kid”. All other releases will continue their rapid declines, yet Hollywood will continue to make video game adaptations despite the fact “Persia” blew it, even with its massive production / advertising budget.

The tepid box office summer will finally heat up later in June with “Toy Story 3” and “Twilight: More Suckage” which will both open north of $100 million.

Podcasts

Benheck.com Podcast Episode 73

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https://benheck.com/images/podcast/gbu_pic.jpg

We’re back! In this newest, thrilling episode we discuss:

1) The Lost finale. Spoilers abound!

2) Smart Phones and things that are cool about the iPad.

3) Red Dead Redemption, AKA “Grand Theft Horse”. Also, how “Dances with Wolves” isn’t a Western, but “Roadhouse” is.

4) Actors who don’t seem to age, like Keith David and Kevin Kline. (Richard Dreyfuss is not in this club)

5) More Star Wars Episode 1 impressions than you probably care to hear, plus the movies “9” versus “Nine”.

Listen to Benheck.com Podcast Episode 73

www.benheckpodcast.com

Movies

Movie Prediction Madness – June 4th-6th 2010

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It’s time for Movie Prediction Madness, a new column in which I fill up my under-utilized blog with predictions on the coming weekend’s top new movies! Let’s go!

#1 Maraduke

Who cares if they reviews say this is going to be crap on a stick? People love dogs, and people love Owen Wilson when associated with dogs (“Marley & Me”) plus moviegoers don’t read reviews anyway (sorry reviewers but it’s the only way to explain Transformer 2’s $400 mil haul). “Maraduke” also has the “mental real estate” of being an unfunny comic (yes I know that’s redundant) in every Sunday paper since the Nixon administration, so people know of it.

Thus “Maraduke” will win the weekend, barely beating out “Shrek 4: DVD Babysitter” for the top spot. Normally I wouldn’t expect a movie like this to make money, but those damn “Chipmunks” movies have been raking in the bucks so why not?

#2 Killers

Keep in mind, #2 of the new releases. “Killers” won’t top “Shrek” for the weekend but will probably squeeze out $20 million or so before limping off to Red Box oblivion. While the premise of “girl meets guy meets guns” won’t work here, I could see Tom Cruise pulling it off later this month with “Knight and Day” because – say what you will about him – he picks good scripts and will give it the right amount of crazy (versus Ashton Kutcher smug) to make it work.

#3 Splice

This movie actually looks kind of interesting but since it’s not a “reboot” of a tired old franchise might only make $15-$20 mil despite the heavy advertising. If it actually connects with audiences I could see it picking up a little steam and sticking around, “Date Night” style (the movie that just won’t die!)

Old Releases

“Iron Man 2: The Actionless Sequel” will continue its trajectory to make less than the original, which is appropriate since it’s less good. “Shoe Shopping Adventure 2” will continue its slide into underperformace, but probably still eek out “Prince of Persia’s” second weekend since I highly doubt undersexed 40-somethings will have any interest in Killers.

Movies

Brace yourself for Movie Prediction Madness!

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I feel I don’t blog enough these days so I’ve decided to do a new weekly feature called “Movie Prediction Madness”. At least for the summer months.

Every Thursday I will predict – with amazing accuracy – what new movie will open to #1 and which will bomb. You can then be amazed the subsequent Monday as to how accurate I was!

In other news, we’ll get back to the podcasts soon, trust me!