Great Lakes Brewing: Edmund Fitzgerald
It was fate -- it had to be. I was at the westernmost Wegman's in Erie, browsing the beer selection. I wanted something different, which is why I go to Wegman's to try new beer -- I only have to buy a 6 pack, and am not committed to an entire case. I had paced up and down the beer aisle without anything really jumping out at me. That is, until I discovered this porter in an inconspicuous cooler:
Edmund Fizgerald Porter, Great Lakes Brewing
The first thing that flashed through my mind was my bone-crunching version of The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, which I had put a lot of work into a couple weeks ago. Finding this beer is clearly more than a coincidence. However, being that I wasn't quite sure what a porter was, I almost passed it up. The label promised a taste that is "smoky, robust, dark and bittersweet." After a few minutes of deliberation, I finally decided to give it a try. It was $8.49 for a sixer, which is relatively reasonable at Wegman's.
It turns out that porters are pretty heavy. Not quite like a stout, but still very dark and rich. The description on the bottle is accurate, with the warmness of chocolate and coffee in the forefront. I'm surprised that it's only 5.8% ABV, as I'm used to darker beers being stronger. On the initial sip, I wasn't too sure I'd be able to drink more than one or two, the taste was so rich. Not bad by any means, but very full. Well, let me tell you this: it's not all that hard to drink more than a couple. In fact, it gets easier and easier.
It turns out that Cleveland has managed to do something right, as that is where Great Lakes Brewing is located.
And it turns out that I officially like porters (so far). It's not a party beer, but rather one to sit down and enjoy with a good hearty dinner -- or on a sinking vessel on Lake Superior. I recommend it!
The Zombie Combat Manual
My friend Roger Ma from the Zombie Combat Club sent me his new book, The Zombie Combat Manual: A Guide to Fighting the Living Dead. And I've happened to see it on the shelves of Borders and at Amazon.com, which is very cool.
I love this book. It's a comprehensive, entertaining guide for zombie fighting, written in a military style. In this well-organized and well-written manual, Ma covers everything you need to know about fighting the living dead, complete with helpful illustrations and "Combat Reports" -- interviews and accounts of encounters with zombies. It's a great blend of straightforward instruction and short storytelling.
The first section covers the facts about zombies: what they are, what they aren't, and how they function. I was particularly thrilled with the first misconception discussed: that zombies can run.
Next, the focus is turned to those fighting the zombies. Physical fitness, health and wellness are discussed in terms of zombie combat, so that those confronting the living dead can prepare as much as possible. A lot of time is spent on weapons of all kinds -- traditional battle weapons, swords, knives, blades, clubs, etc. -- as well as weapons that can be found in certain settings: the farm, the garage, the kitchen, and more.
Ma brings it all together with the final section, Combat Strategies and Techniques. Your chances of success in a skirmish with the undead will soar as all kinds of techniques and situations are covered.
"For those who have never encountered a walking cadaver, the techniques described in this section may seem vicious, brutal, perhaps even excessive and gratuitous."
Of course, the humor is implicit. The straightforward, deadpan delivery of the manual and conversational tones of the Combat Reports are inherently funny when the subject is zombies.
It's a great read. Roger Ma's zombie knowledge is unparallelled, and I can only hope to have him at my side during the next zombie outbreak. Go buy The Zombie Combat Manual right now.
Rating: 10/10
Bled White (2009)
I love independent zombie movies -- they've been slaying their big-budget Hollywood counterparts for years now. Bled White (2009) caught my attention during its production, and the good people at CU There Productions sent a DVD over for me to check out.
The movie takes place after the zombie apocalypse has struck, and what's left of society is reordering itself to deal with the flesh-hungry "zombies." People are doing whatever it takes to survive, and we follow several plot lines that intertwine. We follow two hit men, a family, and a couple running a hotel. The scenes aren't necessarily chronological, creating a darker kind of Pulp Fiction feel. Things happen at the beginning of the movie that don't quite make sense until it's connected to something else later on.
The filmmakers explore some interesting territory and have come up with some original ideas -- a big plus in my book. We see the conflict between those who believe in "killing" the zombies and those who want to them" live" in hopes of a cure being discovered. Themes of cannibalism, cheating, and survival vs. killing are also in the mix.
The characters are pretty nicely developed, and the actors perform much better than I was hoping for. Some are excellent (the lead hit men), some are mediocre, but none are bad.
On a technical level, they did a great job with a low budget. The whole movie is high-contrast, allowing for a lot of lights and shadows. They managed to film the whole thing during the winter, something not often seen in zombie movies. It works really well. Overall, the shot selection and cinematography were well done. The suspense they've created is wonderful. The editing and pacing, along with the good score and sound effects, make for great atmosphere.
Now for the zombies. Even though they run, they look good: pale with lots of blood and light blue cloudy eyes. The makeup is good -- they must have spent a fortune in blue contacts. Nothing looked fake. However, the zombies growl and roar and sound demonic -- a little too over-the-top for me. This could have been just as scary (probably scarier) with slow zombies.
The effects were good, and they kept it mostly practical. They used some digital effects -- fire, gunshot flares, clouds going over the moon, etc. -- but they don't overindulge in digital effects like a lot of low-budget movies tend to do.
All in all, this is a very good low-budget movie -- fun and gory. Also a breath of fresh air in the over-saturated zombie movie market.
Rating: 7/10
Fear Factory – Mechanize (2010)
I was hesitant to pick up Fear Factory's newest effort Mechanize. My first experience with them was their highly popular album Obsolete, which immediately made me a fan. Then I picked up Demanufacture, which is slightly more raw and brutal, also a fantastic album.
But then things went weird for the band. Creative differences began to show through on Digimortal, the followup to Obsolete. It wasn't a great album, and the band seemed to be in limbo for a while. Madman guitarist Dino Cazares left the band after a falling-out with vocalist Burton C. Bell. Bassist Christian Olde Wolbers switched to guitar, Byron Stroud (from Strapping Young Lad) took over on bass, and Raymond Herrera remained on drums.
They released Archetype -- which I love. A few years later came Transgression, which was lukewarm (although I'd still listen to that over Digimortal any day). I figured they were still growing with the rearranged lineup, although they were pulling away from the element of death metal and getting awful pop-sounding on some tracks (like that U2 cover?!).
Then they kind of wandered away from each other. Christian and Herrera began playing in Arkaea, and Burton decided to reform Fear Factory with Dino back on guitar, Gene Hoglan (from Strapping Young Lad) on drums, and Byron remaining on bass. Controversy abounds, and you can read all the (supposed) details on the Wikipedia page.
While I love Fear Factory, I became disinterested in them. All the bickering and problems kind of turned me off. I'm not fully convinced that I like Burton or Dino. I like the Strapping Young Lad guys, Christian and Raymond.
Which brings me back to my original statement: I was hesitant to pick up their February 2010 release, Mechanize.
And to be honest, this is about what you would expect from a Fear Factory album. Dino has come up with some really cool riffs, and the mega-robot-drummer Hoglan adds larger-than-life heaviness to the mix. Burton adds some welcome growls this time around, but his vocals aren't anything you haven't heard before. He maintains his ability to do death metal screams and melodic singing within the same song, which ain't easy.
While this is an album I'll probably listen to fairly regularly, it's really nothing new in the realm of Fear Factory. At times I feel like I'm listening to Demanufacture or Obsolete. I'm fairly certain that the purpose of this album was to re-establish cred with an increasingly disillusioned fan base.
Innovation it isn't. However, it's an enjoyable album that FF fans will appreciate. Hopefully, Mechanize is a stepping stone to further growth and creativity in the band.
Rating: 7/10
Prototype (Xbox 360)
This past weekend, my wife was away on an extended shopping journey. Not satisfied with any of my video game selections, I hurried to GameStop, bound and determined to pick up a game or two. After spending the better part of an hour going back and forth over the Xbox 360 and Wii games, I finally decided on two unlikely choices: Prototype and Ghostbusters.
Why? They were each $19.99.
The teenage guy behind the counter wasn't impressed by what I was buying. "Something to keep you busy," he dully remarked as he bagged them.
I knew neither of these games were big hits -- they both received pretty lukewarm reviews. But something pulled me toward these games. Today, let me tell you about Prototype.
This is an amazing game. You're an shapeshifting anti-hero given free reign in New York City. You can consume people and steal their memories and appearance. Your powers include super jumps, super strength, super speed, and a vast array of weapons (like the giant claws seen above). As you go through the city slaughtering the police and military, you earn more experience, which rewards you with more powers and stronger abilities.
Sure, there's some kind of story that goes along with it. But it's so much fun to terrorize the good citizens of New York, that I really don't care about actually doing the missions. I'm not ignoring them completely -- you have to complete missions to gain more abilities and powers -- but I spend an enormous amount of time between missions bringing death and destruction to the city.
My only real complaint is that there's not much variation in the scenery or the people throughout the city. The playable map is very large, but everything pretty much looks the same.
I love this game. It's a steal right now for twenty bucks -- go get it.
My first story ever published is in Dark: A Horror Anthology. Buy it!
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