ICYMI – Mike and I had a little bit of a long break around the holidays due to many different things happening but one thing that we don’t intend to do is lose the urge to want to sit down and talk about the books we’ve read. If you haven’t yet subscribed to our podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast catcher – and didn’t see our two new January episodes, here are links to stream them from our Shelf Life website. We are looking to do a classic novel for our next episode – something that harkens back to our old High School years and have more lined up in the following months. It’s our intention to get back to releasing a new one at least once per month going forward but if you subscribe to our podcast you’ll be sure not to miss it.
We are not experts — we just discuss books that we like, love, or didn’t. We hope that you’ll find value in that and hang out with us as we discuss them.
If you like movies, I was also a guest on SlasherCast – SideEffect in January. Dave and I sat down and discussed The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies:
I stumbled across another anime show that I found myself liking quite a bit on Netflix (I’m so glad that Netflix carries ‘obscure-to-me’ shows that I’d miss anywhere else!). As with most anime’s it isn’t for “everyone” and I have not seen nor read the comics that it’s based from.
There is something about the Intro song imagery that speaks to me and I haven’t quite figured out what that is yet. The song is definitely catchy, but this teddy bear in chains imagery reminds me of a bizzarro fiction book (pictured at the end of the post) that I really want to read, but haven’t picked up yet.
“I will be your Deadman….” “stuck in your Wonderland…”
RE: Cuddly Holocaust- I don’t think the author plans to put it out as a Kindle edition and I just haven’t had a chance to order it yet. For the same reason that I want to see if an author can take a weird concept and turn it into fiction that *I* could sink into, I just found the idea of blood magic in Deadman Wonderland as weapons a really interesting concept in this new (to me) series. The season ends abruptly, as if the series meant to continue and I think they could have left off the very last episode until they had a second season lined up but who knows, perhaps we’ll get a second one and this was just a taste of it.
Disclaimer for those not into anime: I think you have to enjoy the anime genre for what they are knowing that some eye-rolling will eventually likely take place and I don’t mean this to negate how much fun that I have watching them, I just find myself mentally ‘skipping over’ and ignoring some content or character behaviors that can feel irritating to me.
Why do I find anime enjoyable to watch? Well, really- there’s usually a state of complexity to each series and you can find some layered character types (when we’re not focusing on specific anime style over dramatic teenage behavior). Also, they are action packed cartoons that usually have an equal male andfemale badass. So they take care of that part of my soul that still loves my childhood while allowing me to enjoy seeing a female character in a place of power- even if the female characters are usually drawn aesthetically to appeal to a male audience. I can overlook things like that, usually, in this kind of genre because I’ve become desensitized to it for the most part. I know that going into anime there’s a kind of formula to it that I need to subscribe to in order to watch it and find entertainment from it. *shrug* I roll my eyes and let myself enjoy what I ‘came here for’ and that’s that. Anyway, it sounds like I’m defending myself, and I guess in a way I am- people who know I love the Outlander series might look at this post and shake their head wondering “what in the actual eff is wrong with her tastes?” and all I can really say to that is, “I like what I like.”
It’s the same way that I enjoy reading Sherrilyn Kenyon’s series (Acheron & Styxx) and The Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne. They are, in some ways, a superhero storyline that I find entertainment with– like comic books; but would never deem them as being my top favorite reads next to say, Outlander. I think we’re all like that.
If you haven’t checked out Deadman Wonderland, I’d say to give it a try. If you already subscribe to Netflix, it’s there for free. Beware that there is blood magic involved and a brutal massacre scene in the FIRST episode that if you look too deeply into, is really sad and tragic, which could also be traumatic to view for you.
Mike and I did get together and discussed the novel by Gillian Flynn, “Gone Girl” for our Shelf Life Podcast. You won’t miss out if you watched the movie instead of reading the book, as most of the book was in the movie- with some minor changes that you can probably figure out. We were joined by Jack from Slashercast who couldn’t wait to talk about what he read. It was a lively chat, that’s for sure.
Mike and I plan on discussing The Hunger Games books on our next episode, so stay tuned. 🙂
I forgot to mention that I had an opportunity to be a special guest on the Slashercast podcast this month on two occasions, two weeks in a row. Why is this news? I have been a guest on Slashercast : Side Effect , after all, but the guys haven’t had a guest on their weekly program in a long while and it made for extra bawdy laughs in a full length episode and I had a lot of fun filling in! These guys are always warm and welcoming and I couldn’t have felt more comfortable filling in for a few of the regular gents that are usually on the program (and are back in future episodes, don’t worry!)
I filled in for reviews on “As Above So Below” and “Leprechaun: Origins”
Also this month, Mike and I are getting ready to read and discuss the popular novel by Gillian Flynn, “Gone Girl” for our Shelf Life Podcast. We’ll have special guests on this episode – a cross-over episode with Jack and Lauren from their movie podcast, DeathRattle Podcast. You’ll recognize Jack also from SlasherCast where we brought up the subject of “Gone Girl” in the “Leprechaun” episode. We’re excited to talk about this one- lots of emotions! Stay tuned!
As you can tell, I have not been able to do any Outlander episode recaps but I have been watching the show (most times more than once a week) like a madwoman. I’ve been trying to keep a level head on my shoulders when it comes to the show but they manage to really impress me every week. Episode 6, “The Garrison Commander” was absolutely brilliant and I think it’s my favorite episode yet.
Impromptu, my favorite episodes so far are:
#3 – Sassenach – The pilot
#2 – The Wedding – ep 7
#1 – The Garrison Commander – ep 6
The mid-season break is coming up – so I’ll see if that shakes up my “top 3” or not.
I will try and make a separate post discussing the show soon. My schedule has been pretty busy but I definitely want to talk about this show at some point!
I was a guest on the Slashercast Side Effect discussing the new Marvel movie – Guardians of the Galaxy
Without going into all of the detail that the audio episode can give you, let me just say that this new film that came from the mind of James Gunn and Nicole Perlman, is now in the top favorites of my superhero movie list. I feel as if many of these new superhero movies end up almost easily topping each other as they come out (or I enjoy them enough for them to end up neck and neck with each other because they are just becoming so dang good each time).
I saw the movie twice in the same weekend and to be honest, I really would go back a third time to see it if the chance came up (is it bad of me that I hope the moment does arrive?). It was that much fun. Packed with humor, entertainment, and cinematic magic, it was truly a blast to watch. Don’t let a CGI raccoon and (limited) talking tree stop you from going to see this. It might just be *why* you end up liking the film so much.
The episode is up on the Slashercast feed stream but you can also listen to it here:
So, DA, what did you spend your 4th of July weekend doing this year? Inquiring Minds want to know!
Well, since you asked so nicely, I can tell you that I didn’t spend it at the beach, Longwood Gardens, at the free concert in Philly, or in a local lot watching the fireworks (of which took a full 75 minutes to exit the area after they were all over lastyear. Parking had been a nightmare! Thus I’d spent 75 minutes roaming around the lot buying fried dough / funnel cake and ice cream before the vendors cleared out). Even with the bad taste in my mouth from last year it is an unusual case that I didn’t go watch them, as I love this time of year, I have ever since I was a tot – but there it is. I didn’t go out. I spent my weekend playing a video game – one that I managed to start and complete in the SAME weekend. When does that happen?
Not often. I have many games that I’ve started that I have yet to finish simply because of the long hours involved in getting to the end. Upon the recommendation of a friend of mine, I went to Redbox and rented…
Murdered: Soul Suspect video game
My Favorite Quote:“You have the right to remain silent. If you throw a cop out a window, they have the right to hunt you down and kick your ass.”
My Game Opinions : (I am not a professional video game reviewer, I just like to play video games and am commenting on what I liked and didn’t like).
[Note: Because I rented the game, I did not install it to my Xbox 360 like I would usually do with most games I play. Maybe if I had some of the reported and experienced lag might not have happened…unknown.]
From just a gamers perspective (and not someone in the business of knowing details behind gaming mechanics) –
The Graphics were really pretty decent. Ronan as a ghost sometimes looks a little fuzzy and not as crisp as he could be, but that also could have been intentional because for 99% of the game, he’s a ghost. The environment is good, maybe not excellent, but damn clear most of the time. Even the ghost walls and items are good looking for an Xbox 360 game.
The StoryPersonally, I loved the story. It’s not a new theme, by any means – in gaming or other media – but I truly enjoyed where it lead me, all the way up to the end. Ronan is a man with a hard past who wants nothing than to make up for it with his future by being the kind of cop who won’t turn away when it gets to hard. He’s hardboiled, gruff, tough, and a chain smoker with a great fedora hat. A little Noire style meets plainclothes. With the death of his wife, he’s become a bit reckless, careless, and thoughtless and that gets him into serious trouble with this new case, as you will see in the first five minutes or so of playing. I can’t go as far as to say he’s a human “Big B/Bigby” from Wolf Among Us, but he’s a step or two below it, in rage factor (which might be why I liked his character so much.)
The Characters I talked a little about Ronan above – I liked him. There’s no huge story arc where he does or doesn’t get a heart of gold, he’s just a murdered man trying to find out who killed him. Joy is a teenage punk who is looking for her Mom and even though she doesn’t want to help Ronan out, their fates become intertwined. She’s the right level of punk for the game – not so over the top that you have to roll your eyes. Rex is a good man and while he’s not prominent in the game as much, you do get the feeling that he really cares about Ronan and he’s busted up that he’s been murdered. Baxter is a jerk – but he’s typical of a jerk type cop role. Cookie cutter, but fine for what little he shows up in the story.
The Quests/Cases/Collectables I felt they added a good ‘world/location’ story to them. I enjoyed the backdrop of Salem to the game too. While I’m sure poor Salem, the real Salem, is tired of all the witch stuff – it is a history that they are rich in, and it lends well to this game. I enjoyed all of the collection items and the ghost quests. Even the few that you couldn’t really help were a nice background to the game. There were these nice cut scenes that you can watch when you collect each of the ghost’s quest items that I thought were done uniquely. Instead of an actual full video (maybe due in part for lack of time or money to develop them) there was one frame of the story, usually with one item moving through it- like broken glass shards, while the narrator told their ghostly story. I liked the change of pace here – that as the story unfolded, that this one picture that you are looking at, is nicely relevant to the story being told. That was great.
Gameplay was mostly good. The game is fairly fast paced and generally linear in some spots. When you have to be in one place, you’re there until you figured out that part of the mystery, but there is a bit of an aquarium style open location feel to it once you break out of some of the main locations where the big story stuff takes place. The game can get pretty laggy when you are running from place to place (left trigger button) – the screen literally stutters as you move, as if it was a digitally streaming game instead of something from the disk, but it doesn’t happen every time- and it can be overlooked if you’re not picky. There sometimes is a difficultly picking out specific items to focus on for the investigations – (X button to chose, RT to Reveal items). Sometimes it was a matter of being in exactly the right place to see what you needed to see, but it IS easy to over look items this way, making it difficult to always get a 100% clear on that one case goal unless you scour (or look up the data online) the area for it. There was a few times that I did have to completely reload the last save point because for some reason my X and RT buttons didn’t seem to be doing anything (probably an unresolved glitch), but I can only think of two times this happened, so it wasn’t too big a deal. A quick reload did the trick.
Bugs/Glitches I read there are a few in the game, I was lucky not to have encountered many of the others. Other than the ones I mentioned above, there was one huge and notable glitch for me that happened toward the third act of the game. The story line had me revisit a Church – now there are TWO scenarios here. 1) Some people don’t get the CUT SCENE at all and are left wandering a crime scene with no idea what to do next, 2) for me- I originally did get the cut scene and went to the crime scene and started poking around. At that moment in time, I decided I was good to exit the game and do some other non-gaming stuff and come back to it later. When I reloaded my saved game – I started in the hallway again, as it hadn’t saved my progress when I viewed the crime scene and this time, there was no cut scene at all – which I didn’t think was odd, since I had seen it once, but when I went to investigate it…there were no options to collect my clues. I was unable to press X over any clue items at all. I reloaded a few times just to see if something would work and I did completely exit out and come back into the game, but nothing worked. I’ll post the work around for that further down so that if you run into it- you can get out of it too.I didn’t notice that there was any achievement that I lacked getting for skipping this investigation, so don’t let that stop you from playing the game. Just know that you may need to find some work arounds if glitches DO happen.
The Demons The demons remind me of the Dementors from Harry Potter’s world. They feel a little like maybe they weren’t a fully realized villain in the game, sprinkled in here and there to give a certain thrill or tactic that a general gamer might look for – and not a straight up murder mystery game to which it feels more like, than not. Maybe there had been an idea to utilize more of them through the game, but they felt a little disjointed- and later in the game, frustrating in packs of 3 and 4. Any seasoned gamer can likely stay away from the demons’ cone of inspection sight that they have (think of patrols in the Dishonored video game) , sneak up behind them, and take them out. The interesting thing to these demons is the way you execute them changes with each one. Or rather the specific control changes. It’ll always be the left trigger stick, but the direction changes- as does one of the 4 game pad buttons (X,B,Y,A). For me, this was frustrating in that I always had to pay super attention to the call out of the direction to execute the demon to get it right (and sometimes I didn’t, which lead me to flea for a hiding spot) – but for seasoned players, they probably have no real problem with this kind of control and can get past the demons easily. Also, I should point out that while this frustrated me, I also saw the flair in doing this too. Changing up the execution DOES actually give the game a little bit more unpredictability, which again- harkens me back to the PS2 games where not everything is cookie-cutter, laid out there for you every time.
Maps/Object ID’s Don’t bother looking for an in-game map or an ID tracker. While there is a main quest line tracker- to get you to the next location, there is not an in-game map mock up and the only way you can find the collectible objects is to visually see their glowing lights or get close enough to find a “Reveal” icon. It’s pretty difficult to get a 100% clear in the game in the shortest amount of time (assuming you wanted to speed play this game to begin with) without looking up where to find certain things in the game online. This works pretty well with NAMED objects, I.E. Julia’s Memories because each object is labeled with a name that you can search for, but it does become a little more difficult when you are looking for the Ashes to Ashes objects, Spellbook #2 out of 11. For me, I always tend to have the hardest problems looking for the last 1 or 2 of any object that I’ve missed in an area and spend gobs of time looking at the same scenery trying to find what I’ve gone past. Again, this has a catch 22 feel to it. It’s a little irritating, when looking for items you’ve missed, but it’s also a little refreshing that like with some games that just HAND you every thing with map markers (Tomb Raider 2013 – while it’s a GREAT game, it does have a map system that gives a lot of details. Admittedly, the game is HUGE and had a lot of collectables compared to M:SS, but I think you get what I mean. Sometimes it IS just nice not to have every game piece spoon fed to you, especially in a short game like this).
Ok. With everything said, I honestly actually enjoyed the game. Now, that could be because I rented the game for 2.00 a day at Redbox and didn’t purchase it full price (I’m sorry game developers, I’m not saying the game wasn’t worth your time or my money necessarily- I can see the work put into the game and hey, I’m totally not sh*tting on the final product, I liked what ya did, but my money’s tight these days, and I’d probably have been upset if I’d sprung full money on this and it had the shortcomings that it did, which may or may not have been your fault, but it is a finished and packaged game and I must treat it like that. I’m fine with irritating demons and no map/object ID’s – but the glitches were not intentional to the gameplay and were a draw back to a finish game.) but be that as it may, I found the game truly entertaining and I get a kick out of the name of it 🙂 It really could have been a much larger and longer game — Ronan could have been drawn out by other cases, ghosts, towns, cities, etc like Tomb Raider (2013) and I would have enjoyed the ride if it had been that long, but given the issues that it did have- I felt fine treating this as a nice weekend game. Something new to sink my teeth into and have a little fun with.
I won’t kid you and say that this is something that everyone will enjoy or should run out and check out as the new “underdog is a grand slam hit” kind of game but I would say that this is a game that old school gamers can kick back and play with a can of beer at the ready, with a few hours to kill as well as for newer gamers who don’t like too much fuss or too much open worlding (but not young enough to be sensitive to the murderous nature of the story). It has a nice nostalgia feel to it that I really appreciated. Would have loved to play more content in it.
Gamers, It’s definitely worth checking out. Give it a try, it has some GREAT elements that I’m personally glad that I was able to play through, just don’t expect perfection and I think you’ll like it too.
Here begins spoiler-ish information, hints/tricks/helpful links and videos for the game. Do not cross if you don’t want to be spoiled by ANY content not in the game! (Glitch info at the end of the post)
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Links and items that helped me get through the game that you might find useful also:
A written Walkthrough of the game- http://www.gamefront.com/murdered-soul-suspect-walkthrough/2/
A video Walkthrough of the collectables in the game – http://www.playstationtrophies.org/forum/murdered-soul-suspect/236855-murdered-soul-suspect-collectibles-guide.html
An IGN Wiki Page for some collectables- http://www.ign.com/wikis/murdered-soul-suspect/Info_About_My_Killer
Character: Joy
GLITCH INFORMATION ON “FIND OUT IF IRIS IS SAFE” AT ST. BENEDICT’S CHURCH- is at the end of this post. Scroll down.
Xbox 360 Avatar Gear
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Names of the named collectables in the game – This list helped me to cross check my discovered list against what I didn’t have! Very useful!
Ghost Abilities (14) 1. Pass Through – Salem Streets 2. Possess – Salem Streets 3. Investigative Skill – Salem Streets 4. Peek – Salem Streets 5. Escaping Demons – Apartment 6. Approaching Demons – Apartment 7. Executing Demons – Apartment 8. Reveal – Salem Streets 9. Touch – Church 10. Cat – Church 11. Poltergeist – Apartment 12. Distracting Demons – Church 13. Teleport – Cemetery 14. Remove – Salem Streets
My Life (7) 1. Marrying Julia – Church Nave 1F 2. Seeing My Own Corpse – Police Station 1F 3. My First Crimes – Police Station 1F 4. When Baxter Tried to Threaten Me – Police Station 2F 5. The Picture at the Beach – Salem Streets 6. The End of “Forever” – Salem Streets 7. Beatdowns – Salem Streets
Info About My Killer (39) 1. News Article #1 – Apartment 1F 2. Warning Poster – Apartment 1F 3. K. Douglas Personal Info – Police Station 2F 4. K. Douglas Police Progress – Police Station 2F 5. C. Nelson Personal Info – Police Station 1F 6. C. Nelson Police Progress – Police Station 1F 7. A. Grace Personal Info – Police Station 2F 8. Status A. Grace Police Progress – Police Station 1F 9. G. Soderberg Personal Info – Police Station 1F 10. G. Soderberg Police Progress – Police Station 1F 11. Map of Killings – Police Station 2F 12. Missing Persons Report – Police Station 1F 13. Witness Description of Clothing – Police Station 1F 14. Suspect Released – Police Station 1F 15. Killer’s Profile – Police Station 2F 16. Spray-Painted Graffiti – Cemetery 17. Tabloid Article #1 18. Tabloid Article #2 19. News Article #5 20. News Article #6 21. Tabloid Article #3 22. Poem 1 – Judgment House 23. Poem 2 – Judgment House 24. Poem 3 – Judgment House 25. Poem 4 – Judgment House 26. K. Douglas Cause of Death – Salem Streets 27. K. Douglas Family Photo – Salem Streets 28. C. Nelson Cause of Death – Salem Streets
29. C. Nelson Family Photo – Salem Streets
30. A. Grace Cause of Death – Salem Streets 31. A. Grace Publicity Photo – Salem Streets 32. G. Soderberg Family Photo – Salem Streets 33. Chalk Bell Symbol – Salem Streets 34. Baxter’s Official Comment – Salem Streets 35. News Article #2 – Salem Streets 36. News Article #3 – Salem Streets 37. News Article #4 – Salem Streets 38. Witness View of Eyes – Salem Streets 39. Witness Trauma Report – Salem Streets
Julia’s Thoughts (38) 1. Lillian and Lillian – Apartment 3F 2. Meeting Ronan’s Parents – Apartment 4F 3. Ronan’s Fedora – Church Nave 1F 4. Second Time’s a Charm – Church Nave 2F 5. Can’t Stop Loving Him – Church Nave 1F 6. Sanctuary – Church Rectory 2F 7. Plain Clothes Cop – Police Station 2F 8. Ronan Gets His Badge – Police Station 2F 9. Ronan’s Trouble with the Law – Police Station 2F 10. Visit to the Station – Police Station 2F 11. Meaning Behind “Cheated Death” – Cemetery 12. New Roses Tattoo – Cemetery 13. New Justice Tattoo – Cemetery 14. Why Ronan Became a Cop – Cemetery 15. Rex on Ronan’s Record – Cemetery 16. Smokin’ Ronan – Cemetery 17. Reckless Ronan – Cemetery 18. A Stroll Through the Graveyard – Cemetery 19. Hospital Support – Hospital 20. Seeking Advice from Rex – Hospital 21. Ronan Meets Rex – Museum 22. Museum Date – Museum 23. Fight with Ronan – Judgment House 24. Pondering the Proposal – Judgment House 25. Life, and After – Judgment House 26. Ronan the Stranger – Judgment House 27. Meaning of Dollar Tattoo – Salem Streets 28. That Car Tattoo – Salem Streets 29. The Day We Met – Salem Streets 30. Harassed by Baxter – Salem Streets 31. Salem Feels Dangerous – Salem Streets 32. Ronan Pops the Question – Salem Streets 33. Our Little Town – Salem Streets 34. Ronan’s Childhood – Salem Streets 35. Ronan’s Teens – Salem Streets 36. Family of Three – Salem Streets 37. Escorted by a Knight – Salem Streets
38. Day at the Beach – Salem Streets
Rex’s Thoughts (2) 1. Rex’s Sense of Guilt – Salem Streets 2. Rex’s Gratitude – Police Station 2F
Truth About Baxter (2) 1. Baxter’s Relationship with the Witness’s Mother – Police Station 1F 2. Baxter and Ronan’s Mutual Animosity
Profiler’s Memories (6) 1. Concern for Joy’s Safety – Apartment 4F 2. Insights on the Killer’s Motives – Police Station 2F 3. Fear of More Killings 4. The Killer’s Delusions 5. Museum Spirits – Museum 6. Sensing Judgment House Disturbances – Judgment House
Ghost Girl’s Messages (23) 1. Gallows – Apartment 2F 2. Coffins – Apartment 3F 3. Dunking Chair – Church Rectory 1F 4. Staircase – Church Rectory 2F 5. Demons – Church Attic 6. Cannon – Police Station 1F 7. Judge – Police Station 1F 8. Sacrifice – Cemetery 9. Ghost – Cemetery 10. Twins – Hospital 11. Pillory – Hospital 12. Baptism – Hospital 13. The Accused – Hospital 14. Mansion – Museum 15. Caught – Museum 16. Flowers – Salem Streets 17. Poppet – Salem Streets 18. Storm – Salem Streets 19. Quest – Salem Streets 20. In Her Hands – Salem Streets 21. Burning – Salem Streets 22. Darkness – Salem Streets 23. Stone – Salem Streets
Ghost Stories (8) 1. A Watery Grave (7) – Apartment 2. The Bell Tower Banshee (11) – Church 3. The Stalwart Specter (8) – Police Station 4. The Heirloom (13) – Cemetery 5. Man in the Box (10) – Hospital 6. Terror on the Tracks (15) – Museum 7. Ashes to Ashes (11) – Judgment House 8. Eternal Flame (16) – Salem Streets
Salem’s History (25) 1. Rectory Dedication Plaque – Church Rectory 1F 2. Organ Dedication Plaque – Church Nave 2F 3. Burned Rectory Plaque – Church Nave 2F 4. 1775 Fortress Plaque – Police Station 1F 5. Forensic Facility Plaque – Police Station 1F 6. 1777 Battle Plaque – Police Station 1F 7. 1776 Battle Plaque – Police Station 1F 8. Yellow Fever Memorial Plaque – Cemetery 9. William Pynchon Memorial Plaque – Cemetery 10. Graveyard History Plaque – Cemetery 11. Asylum Dedication Plaque – Hospital 12. Spanish Flu Memorial Plaque – Hospital 13. Surgical Instruction Theater Dedication Plaque – Hospital 14. Train Station Memorial Plaque – Museum 15. Museum Donor Plaque – Museum 16. Dunking a Gossip – Museum 17. Baker in the Stocks – Museum 18. Colonial Kitchen Plaque – Judgment House 19. Colonial Parlor Plaque – Judgment House 20. Colonial Cellar Plaque – Judgment House 21. Armaments History Plaque – Salem Streets 22. Fountain Dedication Plaque – Salem Streets 23. Pirate History Plaque – Salem Streets 24. Gas Station History Plaque – Salem Streets 25. Ashland Hills Cemetery Plaque – Salem Streets
Witch Trials History (9) 1. Book of Engravings – Museum 2. Prayer Book – Museum 3. Judgment House Plaque – Salem Streets 4. Witch Trial History Plaque – Museum 5. First Witch Execution Plaque – Museum 6. German Witch Trial – Museum 7. Medieval Witch Book – Museum 8. Witchcraft Superstition Plaque – Museum 9. Judge’s Diary – Judgment House
Credit to: The Dagda Mor from this link: http://www.xboxachievements.com/forum/showthread.php?t=578477&page=2
The Church re-visit GLITCH – I wanted to post this way down here so that it doesn’t spoil anything – this happens after you poltergeist the phone in the church hallway and get the cop to come down the hallway and then you can possess him to get past the demon pit. Leave the cop’s body when you’re on solid ground and follow the hall to an open door that leads out into a courtyard that you visited before when you possessed a CAT to get to the Attic to find Joy (the witness) before. If you get to the open door and do not see the cut scene that SHOULD be there- then follow this:
“If the cutscene and investigation don’t start then walk outside to the courtyard, look up towards the open window where you used the cat before to egt to the attic and up there, and use teleporting to teleport to a ledge, not inside a window but a little ledge, teleport there and it will put you inside and activate a cutscene and investigation, whatever you do DON’T go back downstairs to the cop because then it will be ruined and you’ll have to start from the last checkpoint, after you’ve done everyting upstairs and you have to go to the Bell Killer’s hideout then you’re free to leave the church and that will continue the story without you having to do the investigation for that person”. – credit to Slash A on a Youtube Video for helping with this glitch. With this information I was able to get through it- and NOT abandon the game.
A little extra info here- the ledge is hard to see. Stand near the stone statue and look up at that open window. Aim for just under and to the left or right of the window where the ivy is growing. You should be able to teleport to that area and the new cut scene for that room will trigger you right into the room. As Slash A says, DONT go back to that courtyard or you’ll have to reload the entire thing all over again because you’ll have no way of getting past the cop because you’ll be phased back into the hallway to finish the investigation that the game doesn’t realize that you cannot finish since it’s bugged. Also, if there’s no cut scene in that room, you can’t teleport to that open window on your own without the cut scene- I’ve tried it, it doesn’t work. So just do the rest of the quests up to leaving the church. You will always have that open investigation objective now, but at least once you can leave the church, it won’t keep you from experiencing the rest of the game!
Dave Laudenslager from the SlasherCast podcast and I sat down to discuss Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt’s Summer teamup, The Edge of Tomorrow. It is based on the novel, “All You Need is Kill” (which I have experienced via Audible and I comment on in the episode) by Hiroshi Sakurazaka (narrated by: Mike Martindale – definitely worth checking out!).
GOOD TO KNOW DETAILS: All of the Side Effect episodes are split into non-spoiler and spoiler sections – so we will get into basic information first and then into more specific details in the second half of the show.
Some people call it “Ground Hogs Day” meets an alien invasion movie, but if you want to hear what we had to say about it- you should check it out for yourselves. We had a lot to say on the movie and we’d like to know what you guys thought. You can interact with us directly on Twitter at : @TheHumanIMDB (that’s Dave) or @DA_Chaney – or on the Slasher Cast Side Effect Twitter account at @SCSideEffect.
^ this is the Comic Book / Manga Graphic novel version – which is not the same as the actual novel. Strong elements from the book are captured though.
You can stream it on the link below or locate it in the SlasherCast podcast feed on iTunes or Stitcher (there are other podcast devices, but these two seem to be the most widely known).
You can also catch an interview that Tom Cruise does on the Nerdist podcast also, which was pretty great to listen to.
Mike Sabourin, Dave Laudenslager, (from the SlasherCast podcast) and I sat down to discuss another new and exciting Summer blockbuster film- X-Men: Days of Future Past. Which characters did we love? Hate? Does this one make up for what some people consider the flop of some of the other movies in the series? You should check the episode out to see what we thought.
Starring: Hugh Jackman,Patrick Stewart,
Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy,
Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult,
Ellen Page, Peter Dinklage, and many more.
GOOD TO KNOW DETAILS: All of the Side Effect episodes are split into non-spoiler and spoiler sections – so we will get into basic information first and then into more specific details in the second half of the show.
To listen to this episode – you can stream it from this link:
Or you can located it on the SlasherCast podcast stream from iTunes or Stitcher
If you’ve seen the movie – here is a Easter Egg Youtube video that talks about some of the things that you may have missed in the movie in regards to the series and the comic books.
While you’re waiting for May 16th (USA) for the new Godzilla movie to hit theaters, I thought that I would let you in on a series of books by one of my favorite horror action authors who has been writing about his own Kaiju threat to the world.
I’ve been reading Jeremy Robinson‘s novels for a few years and I’m always amazed, happy, and excited when he has a new series that I can get into. I go the horror action thriller route primarily, though I tend to deviate from time to time when it comes to Jeremy Robinson’s work. Call me a fan girl, because I totally am. And it’s not just because the man writes a great string of action sequences that make you want to spin kick off the chair that you’re sitting on and hit someone in the face with your foot.
You’d be getting close, but that’s not quite it.
The man writes like a fiend. 14 books written or co-written by him last year! 9 or more planned for this year. The man is prolific as well as extremely entertaining. Any author’s dream come true, in one man (OK, he could have a secret baby Kaiju slave writing army by now for all I know, but he started out the way all new authors do- from the bottom- and it’s pretty damn impressive in my opinion). Anyway, that’s why *I* like the guy, although I’ve never met him. He entertains my mind and I’m inspired (or rabid envious) by his dedication.
He and I recently had a friendly chat, which consisted of me basically fan girl-ing over his book Island 731, that I happen to like quite a lot. It edges out SecondWorld, which is pretty great as well, but I731 is at the top of my list. I’ve recommended this book on The Shelf Life podcast and I’ve listened to the audiobook a handful of times – the story is fun and the narrator (R.C. Bray) is a favorite of mine. After a short discussion, it became known to me that I was missing out on a new series of books that he was writing about Kaiju. Now, I am a HUGE Pacific Rim fan. I can’t say that I got too well into the Godzilla phase, I never really saw the appeal in the older movies and while the Matthew Broderick one was…shot probably as it was intended to be, I just didn’t get into it the way I did say…a Jurassic Park or Pacific Rim.
(Photo: an Internet image representing concept art from Pacific Rim. Not my own. I did not create it)
I have high hopes for this new version in May, but getting back on track here — I found this series of novels by Robinson and I dove in. Of course, before I knew it, I was hooked.
If you like big monster movies like Pacific Rim or anime animation like Evangelion — you really should check these novels out. If you find you don’t have a lot of time to sit and read, pick up the audiobooks from Audible and pop them on during your ride to work, shopping, exercising, walking the dog, waiting in line at the DMV….and you might just find excuses why you need to be a little more active (because you want to hear more!)
I do recommend checking out Island 731 first and then diving into the Kaiju stories. There are elements that you will find helpful by doing that, though it’s not strictly necessary. I suppose I could entice you by saying that Jeremy’s website indicates that he’s writing a “Project 731” this year, which will be the third book in the Kaiju series…but that would just be repeating what I already, eh hem, said (whisper : check out I731 first *grin*).
If you’ve read these books by Jeremy and have enjoyed them — I just wanted to mention that this week (today actually) Jeremy is releasing a brand new novel called “Xom-B“. It is not in any way related to the novels above, but it’s relevant because it’s out this week and will be ready to grab and read at the touch of a button. You can also grab it on Audible, it’s been recorded by R.C Bray (excellent narrator)
I know that I did a fair share of gushing in this post, but I do that if I like something and I think it’s pretty obvious that I do. I’m big on creature features and great action, especially if the writing grabs me. You have a few weeks before the Godzilla movie comes out. Do yourself a favor and immerse yourself in Jon Hudson’s (character) world where Kaiju are real. You will have a really good time – and if you’re into something a little different: a little… science fiction action adventure…go pick up Xom-B.
I bet you’ll make Jeremy’s day (it’s much better than making a grown man cry, trust me.)
This past weekend I recorded a new podcast episode with Dave and Ted from SlasherCast for their Side Effect program.
We sat down and discussed the explosive sequel, “The Raid 2“. The recording will be up by mid-week on their website but you can also catch it on their feed on iTunes, Stitcher, or preferred podcast catcher application on your Smartphone by searching for SlasherCast (the Side Effect episodes are side ‘casts on that appear in the main stream of the show and will be available there and properly labeled when new ones are loaded). We grade the movie and go over the film first, without spoilers, and then in the later half, we go spoiler heavy and discuss favorite parts and our things we had trouble with. Want to know what we thought? Check it out when it hits the SC feed and get in touch and let us know what you thought. Stay tuned to the end for a special episode #hashtag to use on Twitter!
I have a list of podcasts that I listen to (I will list my favorites on a future post) and on one of my top favorite shows, The Hollywood Outsider (a TV and movie podcast) Justin Macumber published a new book, “Still Water“. He asked that people who bought his book take selfie pictures with his title. Having purchased a Kindle title, I threw my hat in the ring and did just that.
(photo: The IMAHO t-shirt is a Hollywood Outsider fan t-shirt, “I’m a Hollywood Outsider” (fan) )
I am only half way through the book but so far I am enjoying it. The book is centered around a coal mining town that stumbles on an ancient evil secret.
If you’re interested in checking it out, you can find it, Justin, and The Hollywood Outsider at the links below. Enjoy!
And if you buy a copy, be sure to tag Justin on FB with a selfie. He’ll love it.
DA Chaney 
