On my way back from the cottage last Monday, I stopped in at Tobermory Brewing Co. and picked up a growler of their Tilted Windmill IPA. I also picked up a howler of their Bruce Trail Blonde Ale but that review will have to wait for another day. Tobermory Brewing Co.’s home is picturesque Tobermory, Ontario, where cottagers looking to shave a couple of hours off of their drive board the Chi-Cheemaun. More than just a place to board a ferry, though, Tobermory is a bustling tourist town that welcomes SCUBA divers, sailors, hikers, cyclists, and, of course, beer drinkers.
Tobermory Brewing Co.’s Tilted Windmill IPA – First Sip
I smell citrus and pine as I take my first sip of this cloudy and deep-amber ale. This is one IPA that is in no way pale. Tilted Windmill is a hop-forward IPA that has a strong grapefruit taste at first. Its thick consistency brings out this brew’s hints of tropical fruit, giving it a mouthfeel that reminds me of mango juice. Its fruity palate gives way gradually to Tilted Windmill’s hops aftertaste, an almost smoky bitterness that makes me crave salt and chocolate.
Tobermory Brewing Co.’s Tilted Windmill IPA – Last Sip
According to my friendly server’s instructions at the brewery, I drank my growler within three days of its being poured and finished it within 24 hours of opening: I bought my growler of Tilted Windmill on Monday around 6 PM, didn’t open it until Wednesday at 8 PM, and finished it on Thursday around 4 PM. And, even though I pushed the three-day window, I enjoyed this beer a lot. I didn’t find that it had flattened or become significantly less flavourful over night after having opened it on Wednesday. With such a cloudy and dark-coloured beer, I expected a high alcohol content but this beer weighs in at a very reasonable 5% ABV. Unlike other hop-forward IPA’s, Tilted Windmill doesn’t rely too heavily on its hop flavour, instead showing off its complex palate of tropical fruit.
Overwatch has a lot going for it. Smash video game company, Blizzard Entertainment’s latest IP has generated an immense amount of hype from its debut trailer, it is the first time the company has worked on a first person shooter, and it’s starring characters have become fan favorites. The game’s open beta was a massive success, and was declared as one of the most anticipated games by numerous game sites and blogs. And now that the product has finally been released, it’s hard not to feel a little disappointed.
Now before everybody and their mother goes nuts let me make something perfectly clear: Overwatch is not a bad game. It is one of the most gorgeous games ever rendered. It feels like playing a Pixar movie. All the characters are unique, diverse, and fun to play as. The game is incredibly easy and accessible, especially for those who are new to shooters. And, most importantly, the game controls great. Never have I played a shooter that was so inclusive and fun.
But, the fact remains that I am disappointed with the final product. Every positive aspect the game offers doesn’t balance out its severe lack of content.
The game’s meat and potatoes are online matches, twelve players duke it out in six vs six objective based games. So, this means that unlike Call of Duty the focus is not on how many enemies you can kill, but rather how you further your team’s advancement to victory. Overwatch forces the players to be more cooperative, and less independent. However, there are only three modes in the game: assault, control, and escort. (It’s worth noting that both Star Wars Battlefront, and Titanfall had more multiplayer modes.)While each varies slightly, none of them are different enough to be unique from each other. In fact there are times that I can’t really tell the difference between each mode I’m playing, and don’t change-up my tactics. And while the game encourages team work that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. More often than not, players will run off to try and get the most kills and make it difficult for the team to win. This can be very frustrating, so the game is more enjoyable when playing with friends.
If you’re not into multiplayer gaming and want a single player experience, Overwatch is not for you. Apart from creating matches with AI bots and a lackluster training mode, the game is entirely multiplayer, which again, only has three modes. This wouldn’t be a problem if the game had more variety in its online content, but the lack of a single player campaign is not only disappointing, but it’s rather baffling. Blizzard is known for creating massive worlds with intricate stories. Now if you’ve seen the marketing story videos, you can see that Blizzard did create a world with Overwatch, but we don’t get to play it.
The main comparison for Overwatch isn’t Gearbox’s Battleborn, but rather Valve’s excellent Team Fortress 2. Both games are remarkably similar in their concepts: multiplayer only games, wildly different characters, and a cartoon like art style. However, the big difference is that Team Fortress 2 doesn’t take it self too seriously. There’s no real story in TF2, the concept doesn’t make much sense, but the focus of the game is on the game play, which is more varied and has more modes than Overwatch. There was no story or world Team Fortress 2 until Valve made videos after the game was released, all of which are goofy and bizarre.
Overwatch‘s marketing materials indicate a large story with an expansive lore inside this epic world. But, we don’t get to see any of it in the actual game. We just have to watch the videos. Apart from the fact that this feels like phenomenal false advertising, the game just doesn’t feel complete. And Blizzard asking for 60 dollars for a game that feels only half completed is overpriced.
I’m disappointed by this mainly because I want a story mode, I want to be more invested in this universe.
All Blizzard gives us are these minimal character interactions when playing the game that just aren’t that satisfying. It’s a shame, because each of these characters could easily hold their own game. I would love to play as Tracer, or McCree, or Winston or any of these characters in their own story modes. Blizzard created this huge world that references an epic war, and has these great characters that all have histories with each other. But, we only get to play a mode that doesn’t explore this world and these characters very well. What’s even more baffling is that each character has a distinct voice actor, and each of them reprise their roles in these short films Blizzard’s releasing. So, if they didn’t want to do a story mode for this game, why did they bother having these talented voice actors fill the roles.
Like I said earlier the game is a lot of fun, looks fantastic, and plays great. But great game play and a good presentation don’t justify the price tag and lack of content. I hope Overwatch expands further in the future, and we get to see more of this world and these characters, but as of now there’s just not enough to make this one of the all time greats.
The worst date in anime history continues. While Josuke and Okuyasu look for their missing buddy, poor Koichi has no choice but to deal with the torture Yukako is putting him through all in the name of love. Still, her type of “love” involves putting a combination lock on the bathroom with a riddle he has to solve if he has any chance of using the toilet. Poor Koichi has to endure as he tries to find a way to obtain freedom. This is all before she energetically shows him the electric chair she has been working on to help him with his studies. No two ways around it, this woman needs some therapy.
After working to try and get a message out for help, Koichi has no choice but to reveal his stand power and fight back. Unfortunately this is exactly as his Stand fails and it looks like he will be at Yukako’s mercy but instead of more torture, a transformation takes place. It’s a bit out of nowhere but this is a long running Shonen series after all and transformations out of nowhere to power up can be a regular occurrence. With his new powered up Stand, Koichi is able to take Yukako down and earn his freedom.
Koichi’s Stand, Reverb, already had some impressive powers but now it looks like he is going to be even more powerful. This is a very good thing especially in a Shonen series. Too often, a character is incredible powerful the first time they appear but as they start to travel with the hero it’s shown they were a one trick pony and not able to properly offer support. Koichi has proven he’s in it for the long haul and will be helping Josuke and the rest until the very end.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable is streaming on Crunchyroll.
On Wednesday, May 25th, The Walking Dead creator/writer/executive producer Robert Kirkman went on the late-night comedy game show @midnight, hosted by Chris Hardwick. As Hardwick is also the host of Talking Dead, and with the season six finale being what it was, naturally the topic of who could have died came up. And Kirkman may have given the answer.
WARNING: POTENTIAL SPOILER?
Look, it’s quite likely not real. @midnight is a comedy show, so Kirkman was likely just having a laugh at all of our expenses. He knows that people are unhappy with the finale, and as the creator of The Walking Dead universe, he can sort of do whatever he wants. You can see him crack up as soon as he says the name “Carl.” And Carl being the victim of Lucille? It’s not impossible, but it seems unlikely. Negan threatened to pop Carl’s other eye out if anyone stopped his batting practice, and taking it out of a bloody puddle doesn’t make much sense.
On the other hand, Kirkman could very well be telling the truth. He says in the clip he doesn’t want to keep everyone waiting: “I’m not gonna make you wait all summer! I’m not an a**hole!” Which is as good a reason as any to leak the info. And there is a bit of reasoning why it could have been Carl. Carl’s not a pick many would have gone with – it seems like the general consensus is that Glenn was killed, much like the comics. But it’s not impossible that Carl was killed. We don’t have any visual confirmation of who died, and The Walking Dead has swapped character deaths before (like having Denise meet Abraham’s fate).
What do you guys think? Did Kirkman reveal the big twist, or is he just having a laugh? Seems we’ll find out in six months, on The Walking Dead, Talking Dead, and @midnight.
Curtis and Brock take a trip to the late seventies to discuss Shane Black’s newest film, The Nice Guys. Also find out the piece of Rock news that hits home for Curtis and what the guys think of the latest round of MCU casting.
0:00-4:37 Intro – YouTube star discussion
6:20 Movie News – Angry Birds, Thor Casting
13:15 UNseen classics – One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest & Alien
19:37 What’s Cookin’ in The Rock’s Kitchen? – Janson Universe
23:38 Brock discusses hangin’ with Flo as the Kool-Aid Man
24:37 The Nice Guys Review
28:58 Curtis’ Nice Guys Soapbox Moment
1:02:42 The Witch and Satanists
1:06:21 ‘Hamilton’
Have a topic you’d like to hear UnPOPPED? Send any comments/love/vitriol to unpopentertainment@gmail.com
For once the description is actually accurate for the episode and not hiding any type of major plot spoiler for what is really happening. The whole episode is about Steven working to get the two new members of the Crystal Gems, Peridot and Lapis Lazuli to get along. This isn’t an easy task as the last time the two hung out, Peridot dragged her back to Earth against her will to use her as an informant against Steven and the team. Ah, reformed villains, they always have so much baggage to deal with.
From there it’s more of a comedy episode as the two Gems work to try and get alone. Actually, Peridot works to get along and Lapis just gives her the cold shoulder. Steven suggestions the use of sitcom plans to fix the problem such as drawing a line down the barn and putting up a curtain. These don’t work as Peridot is awkward when it comes to people so trying to connect with someone she’s wronged doesn’t exactly work. Apologies are not her strong suit. It’s interesting though, when it’s all over, they aren’t friends. Lapis is still bitter but she seems to be less so. So basically the pair don’t really get along but will be working on it for the rest of the season.
The ending is a bigger cliffhanger than the previous episode Same Old World. You’ll have to watch for yourself to see what happens but fans will definitely be eager for the next episode to come out. For now, Barn Mates is enjoyable and you should watch it for yourself to see these two Gems trying to get along in barn they now call home.
Jake Gyllenhaal and director Denis Villeneuve, who previously worked together on Enemy and Prisoners, are teaming up again for The Son, an adaptation of Jo Nesbo’s crime novel.
Villeneuve is currently tied up with the sequel to Blade Runner, which will hit theaters later in 2017, so The Son won’t be out anytime soon. But the synopsis of the novel sounds intriguing:
Sonny Lofthus has been in prison for almost half his life: serving time for crimes he didn’t commit. In exchange, he gets an uninterrupted supply of heroin—and a stream of fellow prisoners seeking out his Buddha-like absolution. Years earlier Sonny’s father, a corrupt cop, took his own life rather than face exposure. Now Sonny is the center of a vortex of corruption: prison staff, police, lawyers, a desperate priest—all of them focused on keeping him stoned and jailed. When Sonny discovers a shocking truth about his father’s suicide, he makes a brilliant escape and begins hunting down the people responsible for his and his father’s demise. But he’s also being hunted, and by enemies too many to count. Two questions remain: who will get to him first, and what will he do when he’s cornered?
What a fascinating crime thriller plot! Gyllenhaal and Villeneuve have done solid work thus far. Enemy is captivating, and Prisoners is one of the finest thrillers of the decade. Fight me on it.
After months upon months of HBO delaying Westworld for a myriad of reasons, the network has finally announced the adaptation will be on our television sets for our eyes to see THIS FALL!
At one point the sci-fi drama starring Anthony Hopkins, James Marsden, Evan Rachel Wood, Jeffrey Wright, and Ed Harris was rumored to be pushed back to 2017 after reshoots and delays through a wrench into things. Not so, as HBO said Westworld, as well as Sarah Jessica Parker’s next series Divorce would be on the fall lineup card. No specific date was set, but let’s assume it’s around October.
Here’s the teaser for the TV series one more time to rekindle the excitement:
Deepwater Horizon is the story of the BP oil rig explosion in April 2010 that, in some instances, irreparably damaged the gulf ecosystem. But we’re not here tot all about that. This dramatic retelling focuses on the rig workers who risked life and limb to save their friends and coworkers during the catastrophic explosions.
Here’s the trailer:
How about John Malkovich doing a southern accent?! That’s a welcome change. And Kurt Russell brings a toned down mustache game to the party this time around.
The dramatic thrust (if you will) of Deepwater Horizon is certainly compelling and the action looks intense. But, boy is that heroism really on the nose here. Kate Hudson telling Mark Wahlberg “you’re a good man” feels especially on the nose.
Nevertheless, Peter Berg’s film will definitely find a certain audience stateside when it hits theaters September 30.
