Josh64

God DAMN, that looks and sounds so cool!! I had no idea it was this cute, you've done a much better job advertising it than Nintendo/LEGO If I ever get spare shelf space then I need this.

Have you seen those off-brand mini lego sets of Pokémon? They look pretty cute honestly but funnily enough... I can only recall seeing random Gen 1's lol

I got a gaming PC recently, set up Steam and Xbox GamePass, dabbled in a bunch of interesting and different things... ... I'm also now about 20 hours into my second ever full Boom Street tour on Dolphin and it's every bit as wonderful as I remember. It's an absolute tragedy the newer PS4 title didn't get a release outside of Japan.

I'm the same, I have read it (heh) pretty much daily for 6 years yet could count the amount of meaningful comments I've posted on one hand. It also just feels SO big that it's not like you're likely to form any kind of meaningful connection with anyone on there as it's just like shouting into space. A really great place to get info quick though. I have neglected this place massively the last few years but again that's partly due to social media and mobile life, I went without a PC for a few years and forums just aren't that easy to use on mobile/tablet, not for me anyway. But something does always pull me back to this place. I should rephrase that, Ashley hates it when I call him "something"

WiiU had Wii Sports Club and Wii Fit 2 (Plus Plus? Extra? I can't remember the name lol) and Nintendogs & Cats was on 3DS! But that's kinda what I mean by them fading off as none of those were anywhere near the success of the predecessors and most people don't even remember them And you're right, 10 years ago saw the birth of so many great things and more recently we've had Splatoon and Mario Maker so it does at least seem that Nintendo's lack of new IP is a relic of the past.

I love many of the games you mentioned but fear Rhythm Heaven, Nintendogs, Wii Sports and Wario Ware are slowly fading into Wave Race and F-Zero territory. Wii Sports, even just a port, would do gangbusters as is evidence by people clamouring over any and all third party sports offerings that are barely half decent but Nintendo seem dead-set on killing any remains of the Wii brand and Mii's. The previous WarioWare game was a 'best of' semi-remake for 3DS that didn't sell too well, before then it went for a different approach with Game&Wario in 2013 which sold terribly, before that we had those WarioWare DIY games, and before then we had WarioWare Smooth moves in 2007. So in my eyes, discounting spin-offs and remakes, the last real WarioWare title was 2007. Again though, that's a bit hyperbolic of me to say as the other games are good and shouldn't be dismissed, just seems as though Nintendo have been experimental and in result not monumental with sales. Rhythm Heaven also had a 'best of' 3DS game, with the Wii game before that being 9 years ago. Again just like Wario it seems they're reluctant to make a real new entry almost decades apart. And Nintendogs is Nintendogs, I just think that ship has sailed, similar to the other franchises I just think if Nintendo had much faith in it surely we'd have had another entry by now, it's only seen 2 releases in its 15 years of existence. A new Donkey Kong would be fantastic but this is Nintendo lol, Rare has been gone for nearly 20 years yet they're still undecided on a core developer for the franchise - Retro were the closest we had but with Prime 4 they're not gonna have their hands free for a good few years.

Nintendo's communication seems really utterly terrible lately, I personally love getting hyped for a game even if it is a year or two out, at least I know there is something to look forward to. As such, I think a Direct would be great right about now, even if it was showing off games that are a year or two away. The reveal of Paper Mario and Pikmin 3 are especially low, there was so little effort in announcing them that it dampened my expectations and almost made it feel as though Nintendo themselves aren't too confident/proud in the games.

That NES set looks pretty cool but for the love of god can we get over NES nostalgia yet?! We've had nostalgic nods and throwbacks to the NES since the GameCube era, give us some more SNES and N64 stuff pleaseeee The Mario LEGO looks absolutely hideous to me, especially Mario himself, but it's clear that's for the young'uns and the NES is for the ageing millenials/boomers. I really hope we get Peach's castle, that's the only one I'd buy.

it makes sense from a business perspective but as someone that was knee deep in the WiiU, add this to Mario Kart and Donkey Kong to the list of franchises that likely won't get a new entry on Switch because of successful ports All DLC included is interesting though, there was a special Christmas DLC on WiiU that I really wanted to try but it was only out for a pretty short window so I was never able to download it

Does anyone think there will be an improved Switch or new system announcement soon? With the discontinuation of the 3DS this is one of the only times in recent memory that Nintendo have had all their eggs in one basket. Though I guess their mobile games could perhaps be classed as a second pillar these days akin to the GameBoy line of yesteryear

So glad you watched it man, I got it on a whim back then not knowing what to expect but all these months later I can safely say it still has an impact on me. Definitely one of my favourite films of the year (despite being a 1999 release lol)

Yeah I couldn’t get over how great it looks, the water sprinkler horse mane was incredible! Story-wise I wasn’t too taken but I think it’s just because I didn’t feel that connected to any of the new characters, didn’t feel like they had much time to breathe. Olaf was surprising - I wasn’t too fond of him in the first but love him in this, his personality developed really well. And yeah songs were great but I agree, I really loved the credits version!

Yeah the Wham aspect felt totally shoehorned in, other than there being a sticker on her suitcase was it ever actually mentioned? I really enjoyed it too, though I did struggle a little bit with some of the more cringe moments but I think that's just something you have to prepare yourself for these kinds of films. I really loved the shop keeper 'santa' character and especially loved the mother of the main protagonist (sorry, I'm dreadful with names lol) - Though is it me or was the whole brexit subplot a bit heavy handed and kinda thrown in there? Quite a light hearted silly movie and then almost out of nowhere some guy on a bus is all "GO BACK HOME", bit weird, had they have fleshed that aspect out a bit more it would have been fine but it just seemed to come out of the left field. There's a few other things I'd like to discuss but I've forgotten how to put things in spoiler tags on here (classic boomer move) so I'll leave it at that. 3.5/5 ________________ Midway - Retelling of the events of Pearl Harbour. Having never seen the other blockbuster of the event and being quite the dunce when it comes to history I found this pretty interesting. Some of the characters were a bit lame but generally a good time, I probably wouldn't watch it again but perfectly passable for a bit of action. 2/5 Aeronauts - I don't get the big deal with this film, honestly. I'd heard lots of great things and having seen the trailer was pretty excited to see it myself but it felt way too slow for me and a lot of the drama when up in the air felt kind of forced. It doesn't help that I wasn't a huge fan of the main character (though she does somewhat become more likeable later on when you hear the back story) Other than the jump scare with the dog I wasn't all that moved by this. 1.5/5 Gemini Man - Film where a younger PS2 version of Will Smith comes to assassinate older Will Smith for some reason. The last scene is one of the worst I've ever seen in a movie. 1/5 Countdown - This is a guilty pleasure of mine, so much so I went and saw it again the following week. 'Horror' film about some teens downloading an app that gives you a countdown to when you're going to die. About 5 mins of "damn this so stupid yo, who would believe in this" until ho boy, turns out its a real curse! A bunch of really corny but likeable characters go on a journey to outsmarting the app, with a love interest subplot and a couple of interesting side characters too. So stupid it's almost like a horror episode of Saved By The Bell but that's why I like it. 3.5/5

I'm not that familiar with the series, I saw the first two but a veryyyy long time ago so I thought maybe that's why I was a bit lost at the start. I have to admit the time travel stuff was somewhat confusing for the whole film lol. I really liked it too though, the action was great and Arnie was amazing - his history of drapes was astounding. Not really my kind of film but straddled a good line between serious action and the odd joke 3/5

I appreciate your introduction!

Joker - I always go into movies blind and read the reviews etc after seeing them so as to not skew my view beforehand but this was one I couldn't avoid because of all the US media going crazy - so going in I expected an over the top killing spree with a woman-hating Joker. Thankfully it wasn't that and I'm not quite sure where the media are getting the incel angle from (he's clearly suffering from mental illness as oppose to just being a hate-filled neckbeard/incel) Anyway, the actual movie, I really loved it. I expected it to start out with him as Joker and for a bunch of usual superhero (or villain in his case) movie tropes to follow and some threat to end the world or take over the city etc but instead it was a really interesting look into this guys life, showing how he slowly transforms into Joker which really pays off. I need to see it again as there's a lot to take in, his relationships with people are really interesting, especially as you slowly see him change toward his coworkers and mother. It also has one of the best scenes near the end but again I won't spoil it. He was creepy, menacing and at time vulnerable so he makes for a much more interesting character than the 1 dimensional one I was expecting. 4/5 Judy - The best acting I've seen all year without a doubt. Absolutely incredible film and about 10 minutes in I kept forgetting it ISN'T a behind the scenes documentary as Renee captures her so perfectly. I loved Judy Garland as an actress and have loved a bunch of her films but while knowing a few random facts and anecdotes about her life, I didn't know much so this was an incredibly interesting, tragic and loving film. It's so heart breaking throughout pretty much the whole duration that while I loved it and WANT to see it again, I don't know if I can. I felt so incredibly sad for her and couldn't wash away the feeling all day even hours after it had finished. 5/5

The Kitchen - I liked the first half of this film, seeing how the wives rise up and take the place of their mob husband positions while they're in jail but it kind of fell apart near the end, with a twist that made no sense. It was fine but I wouldn't bother seeing it again 2/5 Rambo Last Blood - The most obvious money grab/retirement fund movie I've seen in a long time. It was passable at best, felt like a random Netflix film, and Rambo himself is so old I was fearful he'd drop at any moment, just sit down and relax son. 1.5/5 The Goldfinch - About half way through I thought "this must be a book adaptation" and when I looked it up after the film, turns out it was. I'm so torn on what to say as I loved the movie but they did such a ham fisted job of adapting it to film. There were SO MANY characters, so many time jumps, so much plot and so many locations that even as a 3 hour movie it still felt like you were being rushed through everything. They either should have trimmed the fat or made it a two parter because as it stands, it really does feel like youre reading as quick as possible in a 3 hour time slot. The movie itself is heart-warming and looks great. I would have happily watched a 3 hour movie of just the third act in the desert as the main character is coming of age with his best friend, experimenting with drugs and alcohol while his already flaky family falls into even deeper troubles. 3/5 because of bad execution, could have easily been a 5/5 with better direction.

Yes!! I thought I was going crazy too, I really love it but no one else seems that into it. To be honest, I didn't find it that scary, but it was certainly creepy and had some cool looking monsters. That spider for example But I liked it despite not really being scared, the characters were fantastic and it was cool to have new flashbacks with the kid actors. The opening with the gay couple was genuinely pretty triggering, talk about brutal. And the arcade scene made me SO SAD, took me back to my many experiences with unrequited love. 4.5/5 P.S. Thanks man, now I've got that song stuck in my head too lol. Hobbs and Shaw: I reluctantly went to see this with a friend, I'm not really one for Fast and Furious, but it was pretty funny for what it was and I kinda applaud them for just being so ridiculously crazy. I thought F&F films were about cars lol but this is like some superhero movie, that scene at the end with the helicopter and the connected trucks was hilarious and bad ass. 3/5 Hustlers: I never noticed until this film but I LOVE JENNIFER LOPEZ. Holy shit she is incredible for this, I just want to climb into her fur coat and tell me everything is going to be okay. I've got to see this again ASAP 5/5

New poster for the latest live action Disney film!

I haven’t been able to stop thinking about Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood since I watched it, and like a snake engulfing an entire rat in one go, I feel as though I’m still digesting it and appreciating it. I’m gonna have to go back for a second watch and I’m certain I’m gonna have to adjust my score to something higher.

Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood - 3.5/5 - Story about an actor whos career has stumbled throughout the years and shows him, with his best friend and stunt double, dealing with bouts of depression and alcoholism as well as a hell of a lot of other crazy shit later on which I won't spoil here. Some really great character development and the 60's vibe is incredible, a bit long for my liking though and damn, what's with all the foot shots?? Blinded by the Light - 4/5 - Coming of age film set around an indian boy growing up in Luton in the 80's. Has a lot of heart especially in his two best friends and the relationship with his dad is great to watch. His obsession with Bruce Springsteen can seem a bit silly sometimes but I think it's intentional, I'm sure every teen has gone through a period of obsessing over a singer to the extreme. It reminded me a lot of me discovering Scatman John in my teen years and is on par with about how cool that is lol. Some pretty harrowing scenes in regards to far right extremists and nazis, shocking how much parallels it has with stuff that's happening in 2019. The Sun is also a Star - 1.5/5 - Ridiculous sappy mess. Girl is going to be deported the next day - she's about to cross a road without looking either way and with headphones on yet gets pulled back at the last second by the most beautiful man ever. So far, so my kinda film right?? WRONG! Mainly because their acting is so lame, especially the main character, she has about as much emotion as Bella from Twilight. She says something like "oh... thanks. I guess you saved my life" They get coffee, he's immediately in love with her for some reason, swears she can fall in love with him in 4 hours, they have about 2 years worth of events in that day and ugh. Just no. There's also a scene where it's a close up on his face as he sings to her in a karaoke booth which was very painful. But it's clearly not aimed at me, I can see teens enjoying this and it would probably go down a lot better with a few glasses of wine on a lonely Valentine's Day. The Art of Racing in the Rain - 3.5/5 - So much better than I was expecting! I was certain this was another one of those "talking dog films where it dies at the end" but it was a lot more than that. The dog does talk but instead of that stupid "lets talk like a 5 year old" shit they usually pull, this dog sounds like a sassy and slightly bitter old man. The main guy is a single man when he gets the dog and so their love for each other is strong and the dog is often commenting on how they are brothers but when his owner gets a girlfriend the dog is hilarious. "He seems to love being around her but I don't see the big deal, and she doesn't smell great", that kinda thing. SPOILERS The dog slowly warms to her and then takes a back seat for most of the film, pretty much just narrating. Meanwhile, holy heck. The main guy is into racing, but as his wife gets pregnant he has to reconsider his career as it's not exactly safe or financially stable, not to mention her parents don't approve of it. Fast forward a bit to a few scenes of the kid growing up and bam, mother gets ill. Dad suddenly has to deal with a bunch of every day life things that he didn't previously as she is in hospital. Things get worse, she's diagnosed with cancer. Things get worse, she dies. The parents hate him for this, believe that if he'd have been home more instead of focusing on his career he could have seen the signs earlier. Bastard dad says this to his face, gets up in his grill and urges him to fight. Our protagonist pushes him away but, as the bastard dad is an old cretin, he falls and hurts his rib. He then tells his lawyer that he was assaulted unprovoked, the grandparents TAKE HIS KID AWAY, and ugh, things just keep getting crazier and crazier. It's a wild ride, man. /END SPOILERS

I really love the first Matrix but haven't seen the others, I was late to the party (like really late - saw it for the first time in about 2010) and have been told by so many people that the sequels are bad but I'll give them a whirl anyway and see for myself.

I guess at least when you use your free tickets to see it again you can Be Prepared for disappointment in that section

In a bid to see everything that appears at my local cinema, I somehow found myself watching Horrible Histories: The Movie yesterday. It somehow was not as bad as I was expecting, actually pretty decent in places, pandering in others but mostly fine. The musical numbers were god awful though, and the dances even worse - out of sync and lame, Historical High School Musical it aint. But still, if you're in the target demographic (which I'm guessing is like 11 and under) then you'll find it pretty fun. 2.5/5 On a better note, I randomly picked up Kikujiro on bluray, a Japanese film about a boy who lives with his grandmother and goes on an adventure to find his mother who lives in a far off city. With the help of an older gangster wannabe they travel on an eventful journey meeting lots of colourful (and some very disturbing) characters. It's one of the most heart warming films I've seen in a long time and I haven't felt such a sense of adventure since Slumdog Millionaire. 4.5/5

Someone uploaded a 35mm 4K scan of the original teaser for Sam Raimi's Spider-Man yesterday, which was originally buried because of the Twin Towers (and possibly because of the ridiculous helicopter logic lol)