Post 2019 World Series Thoughts

When the Washington Nationals swept the St. Louis Cardinals, I thought that they would win the World Series. I expected five games, but for the sport, seven. To see an underdog that never won anything, even in Montreal, is one of the biggest surprises to end the 2010s. It was a matter of going to their strengths in pitching and the bats coming in at the right time. They join the 1996 Yankees as a team that won eight on the road, including four World Series games.

You talk pitching, you got Stephen Strasburg. Capping off his postseason with phenomenal Game 6, there's a reason he won the MVP for the series Add in Max Scherzer and Patrick Corbin, and they helped bail out a struggling bullpen. Of course, you got Anthony Rendon and Juan Soto delivering at the plate. Howie Kendrick is a huge hero in Washington baseball lore. Lots of contribution. Keep in mind that near the end of May, the team was 19 and 31. The nation's capital gets its first baseball trophy since 1924 and it joins on the midst of last years Capitals hockey championship and the recent WNBA Mystics Finals win.

With Houston, they blew opportunities. The overuse of Justin Verlander was obvious. Why Zack Greinke was pulled, I don't know. Manager AJ Hinch blew his opportunity in managing what pitchers to use. The question will be asked about Gerrit Cole and if he could have been used. Starters in relief has been seen, but that quick in two days rest, who knows. With the Astros batting, they came at moments, but in the losses, they couldn't figure out the Nationals.

I think the Astros were distracted by the controversy regarding their fired assistant GM. Questionable choices in the games. Even the umpire issues on both sides. Either way, this is a special way to end the decade. The Nationals surprised many with defeating the LA Dodgers. Sweeping the Cardinals helped them and to pull off the upset. All DC needs now is the Wizards and Redskins to get into championship contention. Baseball's trophy gets its stay in a meaningful place until next year.

Geeks and Jocks Episode 19

The newest episode of Geeks and Jocks. Domestic Horror

https://anchor.fm/ryan-sullivan1gaj/episodes/Geeks-and-Jocks-Episode-19-Domestic-Horror-e8c1fb

Zombieland Review

After seeing the newest one in theaters I thought about re-watching the first Zombieland. I don't remember it being advertised when it was new. To be honest, I hadn't seen it uncut in roughly seven or eight years. Seeing it after that long, it's held up very well. A lot of comedy sprinkled around and one hell of a finale.

Basic premise, Columbus is venturing his way from Texas back to Ohio to see if any of his family survived. Along the way, it slowly goes to introducing Tallahassee and then later on with Wichita and Little Rock. If there is one thing I like, it's Columbus learning the origins of what the three have gone through. It sort of explains the unbridled rage of Tallahassee. I also forgot that the girls were bad guys at first and it may feel that way for some viewers at points throughout it.

The movie relies on its jokes and antics. Stuff like getting pissed over no Twinkies or a guy starting the zombie apocalypse by eating a contaminated burger. That's what works. It has a handful of action scenes and the writers slowly form it until it reaches the end with a big finale that is ridiculous but well made. A good emphasis on rock music encompasses the scenes along with the dreary cinematography. Add in a good pace and quick run time, you got a good solid film.

There isn't much else to say. Zombieland stands on its own and whenever the second one comes out next year on video, it should make for a great double feature. One of the films to see during October.

Score: 7.5 out of 10.

Houston, We Have a Domestic Problem

I think sports leagues have been better in handling domestic violence issues in the last five years. There are punishments for these actions and it has handled smoothly. Where MLB stands on the Houston Astros, I don't know. But there is a toxic culture in the organization. I've waited a little bit because I don't see the issue dying off, regardless of them winning a World Series or losing it.

Long story short, Brandon Taubman, who was the assistant general manager for the Astros, said some inappropriate stuff in front of three female reporters, one of which is a writer for Sports Illustrated. Along the lines of saying he was glad the team got Roberto Osuna, a closer who was in the midst of a 75 game suspension last year when he was traded to them. Charges were dropped, but the suspension was still in place. The Astros played the denying game and then admitted. Taubman was fired earlier last week and it paints a very bad picture with how they handle the media. Back in the summer, they refused to let a Detroit reporter talk to former Tiger Justin Verlander.

The way the team has handled the media has been very poor. This is how things go sour very quickly and it starts at the top and every area in between the top and bottom. Firing Taubman should not be enough. There should be a hefty fine for the Astros and maybe a loss of a draft pick or two. Owner Jim Crane and GM Jeff Luhnow need to reassess how they handle things in the future. There should be opportunities for second chances, but there's better ways of being professional in the sports world. Either way, even if they win the World Series, this controversy will be looked at more than a championship. The Astros have a long way to go to get rid of the toxicity.

YouTube Videos: Oct 18-24

Horror Games I've Played

I'm a little more comfortable with horror video games. Let's dive into a few.

One of these I played for the Xbox 360 called Dead Rising. It was a very early title and it was inspired by George Romero's Dead films. In a shopping mall, you're a journalist, trying to figure out what is going on in Colorado. The graphics are a step up from the previous generation. Tons of stuff on screen. Plenty of zombies to kill in various ways. A lot of scary and rock music add to the audio. Lots of objectives, optional rescues. An arsenal of weapons and health items. Experience points to help improve stats. Couple knocks include poor AI and only one save game slot. Plenty of content. Try it out to see how you feel, but my recommendation is the second game.

This game I tried on the PlayStation back around 2000 was Dino Crisis. Resident Evil with dinosaurs.  An elite group trying solve problems on an island, but things don't go as planned. It has the scares, especially if dinosaurs catch your scent. More about survival instead of going guns blazing. There is an eeriness to the graphics that while good, it leaves on the edge. Same can be said for the audio. A lot of puzzles and scares, it is a game to look at if you're not interested or had enough time with Resident Evil.

Last for this blog, I'm going camping. Friday the 13th is one I've played on and off for about a year. You get to play as counselors or Jason. As counselors, you set traps, repair vehicles, or call cops to escape or simply survive. Jason's goal is killing the counselors through various kills and make things harder such as shutting off the power to cabins. Both aspects have various pros and cons to characters, so choose wisely. The graphics are spooky and when the music kicks in, run. My only complaints are offline not being as good and online being the only way to play it. You want that kick of 80s nostalgia, the game will be an obvious choice.

Why I Hate The Walking Dead Show

Very rarely do I have mixed receptions on stuff in different forms of media. I hate the show Animaniacs but I love the Sega Genesis game. It's similar to how I feel about The Walking Dead. I enjoy the TellTale game, but hate the show. I tried to give it a chance. Gave the first season a shot and was not impressed. Here are my thoughts from five years ago.

The first episode was kind of dull. Nothing stood out except for the ending, which was like a cliffhanger. Not bad, but not great. With the second episode, there was a lot more to it. New characters, intense moments, survival. I thought that was the best episode of the season. Unfortunately, the third one regressed. My main gripe was the pacing as it felt inconsistent and it should have focused more on Rick and not on the camp. Should have been balanced better. Episode four was more so like the second one, but not as good. Still a strong episode. 

With the last two episodes of the season, I was not impressed. Not a good pace and nothing about it made me want to watch the second season and up. The thing is, there was a good range of characters, each with pros and cons like any horror program. I thought the cinematography captured the essence of an apocalypse and living off the land away from zombies. It had the audio that you want for something like this. Little things do hurt a product for some. 

That's all I have to say. Sorry to anyone that is a fan, but I couldn't get into it. I tried, but I hated it. I find most AMC shows to be overrated in general.

Zombieland: Double Tap Review

Zombies are very much mainstream. You got your TV fix with The Walking Dead. George Romero had his slice of films with X of the Dead films. Comedies like Shaun of the Dead poke fun of the genre. I would put Zombieland into the comedy realm despite the violence in it. Double Tap is something you wouldn't think would get made. It is a great follow up and one of the funniest films I've seen this year.

How does it stay fresh without treading on familiar territory? It's neat to get Tallahassee, Columbus, Wichita, and Little Rock back together with the same actors reprising them. And they're still killing any zombies that get in their way. They find refuge in the White House and call it home. That is, until the girls get tired of the guys and Little Rock meets a guy roughly her age. It's another adventure through the country to get her back and survive. But what they dealt with in the first, it's a whole new ballgame going for seconds.

What is good about Double Tap is that although it doesn't break any new ground, it put a lot into having enough to stand out. There's a new breed of zombies with some funny references. Like any apocalypse, you got people who are trying to survive. New characters like Madison, Berkeley, and Nevada help keep the film on its feet and leave you in awe with the humor and action. Kills are just as creative as the first and the pace is on par with it. The narration is a nice touch and some of the random moments are gut busting.

The antics of the characters provides a more funnier film. Nobody can do one liners in it like Tallahassee. There is a bigger emphasis on romance, but it's not shoved down your throat every second. It helps some of the humor and tone a little, though. With experience for a long time, the action is smarter and more developed. The tone and visual effects are top notch combined with the dreary cinematography. Add in the good use of music and its the recipe for how to be a strong comedy sequel.

My only big complaint is Madison. I don't mind a dipshit character and I get the joke, but she can be a little grating. And there are a few new characters that I felt could have had a few additional scenes. Can't expect a film to be perfect. Usually, comedy sequels are not as good. Not the case with Double Tap. It might be better than the original, if not, just as equal. Check it out in theaters. Stop by next week and I'll say my thoughts on the first film.

Score: 8 out of 10

The Halloween Movie Identity

There is no shortage of TV shows doing Halloween specials on prime time networks. It's been the case for many years. Cable has its moments, but the movie spectrum is a little different. Maybe years ago, it was treated very well, but not many networks are all in.

The only ones to get into it are Freeform, AMC, and SyFy. Granted, you're not getting the greatest variety, but it's better than nothing. You know Freeform will put in the same 10 or so movies and some of it is ones that you don't see on other networks like The Addams Family. It gravitates towards friendlier films, so don't expect much out of them. That being said, they have been generous with Treehouse of Horror episodes of The Simpsons. Even though that's TV, it's a nice addition.

On the other end of the spectrum, SyFy goes for the throat. You got the schlocky films. Stuff that would fit onto their network now these days. But you got tent pole films such as Friday the 13th and Elm Street. Maybe Halloween, but that depends on if someone AMC airs it. Speaking of which, that network has their films such as Jaws, Hellraiser, and The Shining. Between the two networks, it's almost like a best of the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Can you stomach five minute breaks?

Is there anything that can be done with airing movies around this month? Let me know what you think because the appreciation for Halloween stuff feels less strong every year.

Game Emulation Stories: Volume 2

Since the first one is the biggest blog of the bunch, it's been very long enough to do a second volume of stories. I'll have at least a couple to talk about.

The first goes back to 15 years ago. Around this time, there had been sites that were doing their own arcade emulation. I believe the site was called 1980stees (it's been a long time, so the name is something else) and they specialized in doing early 80s arcade games. There was Donkey Kong, Frogger, and a couple other games from that era that I played. It was about as close as I could get, not knowing that there were places where you could get the actual arcade ROMs or even get the real PCBs on eBay. They did have some other flash games like one I played a lot that was based on Sonic Advance 2, which was the newest handheld Sonic at the time. I had good enjoyment out of it.

Going to do more 80s, this time called 1980sgames.com. At the time, roughly again 15 years ago, they had access to about every NES game released in America. Even included were some rom hacks of a couple games such as Aladdin. Unfortunately, emulation was rough with Nesticle or Nestopia. Once again, my memory is a little fuzzy. Regardless, the games ran really slow. Try playing through Bionic Commando or Back to the Future on that.

The site also had access to Sega Master System games and included both the American and European releases. It might have been the first time I had every tried out games for it. It's 8-bit Sonic games I definitely tried. Altered Beast and a few others I gave a shot. I remember the emulation being good, but the audio was a few pitches down compared to how it was on a real Master System. As far as that site was, it was okay. If you didn't want to hassle with emulators, it was fine, but it was not something I would have recommended. Now these days, the site's domain is up for sale.

And that wraps up volume two. I do have a bit more emulation stories I'll talk about in the near future. Here is the first volume:

https://sullivanentertainment.blogspot.com/2019/03/game-emulation-stories-volume-1.html