Bombin' the A.M. With Scoops and the Wolf: 11/17/2014

Tales of cold with Klepek.

That door opening freaked me out, Alex. PUT THAT THING ON A LEASH.

Ghost door!

At 2:40 I think Alex was visited by a ghost.

Surprised Alex didn't like Birdman. I loved the shit out of that movie--but I don't blame him for being sour on the director (Babel is fucking terrible). Michael Keaton is a fucking delight in that film, though, and that's something we can all agree on.

Warm rain here in Rhode Island but it's going to get spooky cold after today ;[

Pretty funny watching Alex ad lib when Patrick was away, bummed the cat couldn't make an appearance. GHOST CAT!!

If people could evolve defense mechanisms from doing stupid things, Dan would be invincible.

Nothing about Xbox One's first party is compelling to me or my friends at all. Especially when you factor in the numerous ways they continue to botch their own first party titles this gen. From terrible micro-transaction models to broken a online mode like the Master Chief collection has. MS has only done damage to their own IPs thus far.

Besides, the damage is already done. Nobody is forgetting what MS tried to pull with always online and DRM. I certainly will never buy a Xbone. I don't reward a company like that with my support.

AWOOOO!

I don't think Microsoft is the only one to blame. You're really kinda seeing this stuff happen everywhere this gen. The online stuff for Drive Club doesn't even work and where is that PS Plus version Sony promised for launch? I've been playing on my PC and Wii U more than either of those consoles so far this gen. Right now I'd have to give the edge to MS for actually having quite a few good exclusives out already. Literally the only game I've played on my PS4 so far is Infamous.

http://www.listwar.com/released-games/

this whole "Xbox is killing PS4 so far with exclusive games" forced narrative is bizarre.

People also tend to ignore that the PS3 actually got significant continued support in the last couple years, while the 360 mostly dried up. I'm not saying that's a good strategy or a bad one - I have no clue - but we've seen this play out before. Sony starts kind of slow but continues support for a long time. Microsoft (even though I wouldn't agree that it's been happening to nearly the extent people are trying to say) starts strong but mostly let their current console die while planning the next one.

@nags: Is the PS4 more enticing to you? I have yet to purchase either console because they've both been lacking interesting games.

That list is incorrect and does not represent the actul point of the statement either. It's not about the amount of games. It's about the quality of the games and in that regard, Xbox One is indeed killing the PS4 so far.

@LunarJetman: What's incorrect?

It does seem like a mistake to hope for a reasonable, nuanced critique of cinema from a games journalist. Alex is welcome to his opinion, but he is also, very much, "that one guy" on this one. Birdman is simply spectacular.

@LunarJetman: I don't see any quality in their (microsoft's) 1st or 3rd party titles. It's been a total mess since launch.

What are the "quite a few" good exclusives? I can't seem to find any.

Fun fact: We're only a couple of weeks away from summer here in Australia!

Forza Motorsport 5

Forza Horizon 2

Dead Rising 3

Sunset Overdrive

Halo Master Chief Collection

Killer Instinct

Titanfall

Can I say, if you can guarantee me a good semi-regular 30-45 minutes of Alex on his own just awkwardly talking into the camera about subjects all and sundry (not wrestling) then I will buy a premium subscription to watch it. It's really quite entertaining.

All your talk about Fahrenheit temperatures is so confusing! What do these numbers mean?!

@clapmaster:

Titanfall isn't an exclusive. I have that for PC. Was done with it in the first week. Didn't live up to that tremendous hype. Killer Instinct was a mess when it launched and to be honest I think the art style and flow of matches is awful. HMCC has broken online components, and most of those games are really dated and don't hold up very well. Dead rising 3.... great, more zombie games, I'll pass. Forza 5 had some terrible micro-transaction model, heard they made some changes to that but the AI is still bad. Horizon 2 is actually on 360 as well, so that isn't exclusive to the One. The locale of FH2 is actually really flat and uninteresting. Sunset Overdrive actually looks fun but the art style is atrocious.

Microsoft itself doesn't even have confidence in it's own exclusive line-up. They dropped the price to $350 for a week out of desperation. Pretty sure that will be a permanent price drop in a few months.

It's amusing to me that someone as camera-shy as Alex is employed as an on-air personality by a website that produces almost nothing but video content. He reminds me of the scene in Wayne's World when Garth is left to host the show alone after Wayne is fired.

Alex, I love you, but you've really gotta do your research before you say things like 'There's nothing announced for Wii U after this year beyond *Zelda* and *Yoshi*.'

@nags: As a PS4/PC/Wii U owner, Sunset Overdrive looks like an incredible game I'm never going to get to play. And whilst art style is subjective, I believe it to be one of the best things about that game. Oh Insomniac, just give me a PS4 Ratchet pls.

@nags: Ooh, that looks like fun! I've not played any of these PS4 titles but I'll have a crack at this...

• Killzone Shadow Fall - Well, that series was always a dud, but now it has a bland subtitle to boot!
• inFamous Second Son - Looks like more of the same.
• Driveclub - HAHAHAHAHAHA
• The Last of Us, Injustice - Hey, they're on PS3 as well!
• Samurai Warriors 4 - Really? No, but really?
• The Pinball Arcade - Nobody plays pinball games apart from Jeff.

You're right that, that was fun. I mean, I don't believe a single word I said, mind. If I had a PS4 as well as my Xbox One, you know what I'd be doing? Enjoying more games than I do right now.

Console wars: Never not silly.

P.S. Sunset Overdrive is SO MUCH FUN.

Eh, I've seen others not being that hot on Birdman. And Alex wrote some damn fine reviews when he was working at Screened, so he knows his movies.

I love the Mastodon shirt. Keep rocking. What's your favorite album by them?

Has Alex never been outside when it is windy as fuck and cold? Wind chill is totally a thing.

Meanwhile in Alaska it remains a balmy average of 40°F so far this month. Enjoy our cold Patrick, and feel free to keep it for as long as you like.

@buzz_clik: Bloodborne.

@slayer1071: Leviathan. As a drummer, i wish Brann Dailor hadnt reined it in so much in the subsequent albums. Plus he got rid of that solid aluminum snare. He had the best snare sound ever....

Dick Dastardly has come to Chi-Town.

Ah Biutiful...the movie @alex described on Screened as, and I'm paraphrasing:

"A two and a half hour long blanket party. It blindsides you, then assaults you with unpleasantness for over two hours."

@development: Ha! Yeah, that's one of two games to make me surprise (read: annoy) the wife with a new PS4 appearing under the TV.

23:31 - 26:37

Is possibly the cutest form of Alex we'll ever see when he has to talk to just us and no one else to work off on :D

Oh wow, a special appearance from the ghost in Alex's apartment.

The youtube version of this is from 12/17/2014 go watch that one to see the future!

Windchill means that heat leaves your body as fast, due to wind, as through it were the wind chill temperature. Whether you feel it or not, you are freezing faster.

sorry alex, i just can't back your views on iñárritu. he's the fucking best. that said, the fact that he didn't get santaolalla on for the soundtrack considerably and negatively affects my desire to see this film.

@prof_nobody: I'm always freaking out at Alex's or even Rorie's opinion on cinema. For movie critics, they seem to be American-centrist most of the time and just completely miss the point of most movies that don't work on a regular structure. I feel like they know their american classics well, but that they would not "get" what, for me, represents the great directors. It's all pure speculation of course.

But then again, it's just their opinion, and most of them are far from stupid if you accept that they come from a different place. Alex's opinion on Birdman is articulate enough, even if you (and I) disagree with it.

@buzz_clik:

@development said:

@buzz_clik: Bloodborne.

@fear_the_booboo: Agreed. Alex offered a more articulate breakdown of his problems with the film than I have found elsewhere (and among this comment thread), but I find myself still wondering what his exact expectations were for this film.

If, as you say (and as I am inclined to support), Alex's expectations occupy an American-centrist viewpoint, then it is probably worth noting how limited his criticisms are when addressing a foreign text.

Regardless of whatever Birdman's detractors expected from this movie, they probably shouldn't have anticipated transparent character motives, predictable thematic exposition, and straightforward narrative arcs from Iñárritu. Accordingly, it's probably unfair to think that this film could sponsor the mainstream comeback of Michael Keaton. His participation suggests, rather, that far more interesting opportunities could lay ahead for him (fingers crossed).

@patrickklepek:

I have to say man, as someone also from the midwest I am greatly fearful for your bodily health and safety due to this upcoming jump in the lake excursion. Hypothermia is not cool. Be smart!

On a lighter note, if the lake freezes over what do you do? Cut a few holes and scramble to be the guy who makes it out alive?

Thank god, @alex, that you are one of the few to see through the awful charade that is BIRDMAN. Iñárritu needs to pull his head out of his ass and go make a movie anywhere near as good as AMORES PERROS. There remainder of his career has since been a long trail of car wrecks.