News and Opinions

More 360 memory, Less Taunting in Lost Planet and sitting in Time Pilot - Welcome to the column that is listed as Elite but reads like a bad issue of Mad Magazine known as Dare to Play the Game.

Welcome to another edition of Dare to Play the Game. Well, barely but I made it to Master Sergeant in Rainbow Six Vegas. I seriously doubt I will be a First Sergeant this week, maybe next. I'm probably going to concentrate on getting a few achievements now rather than worry abo...

When last I left you, the viewer, I was in the midst of frantically typing “Yo” so that I could be a participant of the chat with Warner Brothers Home Video, to ask about any coming next-gen titles from the studio. What we found out was fairly illuminating. The Warner hits L.A. Confidential, Poltergeist, Deliverance and the Kenneth Branagh version of Hamlet will all appear on HD-DVD and Blu-ray this year, with Heat and The Music Man to come out in 2008. They also reconfirmed ...

I always have the distinct feeling, when writing this column, of shipping coals to Newcastle, but I haven’t let that stop me yet, so onward. Today, boys and girls, a few reading recommendations. I trust that most of you are capable of using Google and tracking down your favourite cult movie sites, so I thought I’d point, instead, to a few magazines. Print ones. The kind you hold in your hand. Gasp.

Let’s get the conflict of interest portion over with first. Don’t let the fact that I also write for The Ph...

PS3 is backwards, Conan moving forward, and a 360 schedule out of this world - Welcome to the column that is going nowhere fast but doing it with a big bang known as Dare to Play the Game.

Welcome to another edition of Dare to Play the Game. I’m a Sergeant first class in Rainbow Six Vegas now and half way onto Master Sergeant. My ultimate goal is Lieutenant Second Class (certainly not the insane Elite class) but a part wants to reach Captain t...

Well, the news late today about Sony deciding to come into the affordably priced standalone market by introducing a Blu-Ray player of their own that will come out in the spring/early summer. The BDP-S300 will retail for $600 and unlike the first gen that’s $300 more, will actually include CD playback. So now that they’re making their strides towards affordable hardware (stop with the PS3 argument) with more price drops to come, it’ll be interesting to see when, how much and how often the cheaper HD-DVD equipment does...

The cult film collector will often have a rather divided personality when it comes to DVD editions of desired movies. On the one hand, perfection is ardently sought – no better example of this can be seen than the down-to-the-very-last-frame detail of the reviews in Video Watchdog. In a perfect world, all movies would be released by Criterion.

On the other hand, down that road lies both madness and bankruptcy. And the fact of the matter is that many films, particularly of the B-level (or lower) from ...

Mario Kart of old, Halo 3 Beta of new, & Sonic, well he’s blue - Welcome to the column that so borrowed that this writer will end up in a clearance sale @ the Salvation Army store known as Dare to Play the Game.

Welcome to another edition of Dare to Play the Game. Make that Staff Sergeant, yes I am still improving at Rainbow Six Vegas. (don’t expect me to be Sergeant First Class this week though). I like playing because I get to talk to my friends, but honestly if they wer...

Welcome one and all to the circus that is the format war. Well, let’s skip past the part where Sony will be putting copies of Casino Royale into their PS3s for the European launch, along with Fox’s announcement of Eragon on Blu-Ray for 3/20, along with rumors of Jaws on HD-DVD not dying anytime soon and Disney’s rumored releases of the two Pirates of the Caribbean and Sin City movies, and tackle a shot fired across the bow in the online community.

I like Bill Hunt and read...

As the reality TV phenomenon continues to evolve in much the same way as irradiated insects, it is perhaps time to go back and remember Series 7: The Contenders, a film that has lost none of its relevance since its release in 2001.

The film deals with a reality TV show called “The Contenders,” now in its seventh season. Contestants are selected in a lottery, and participation in the show is compulsory. The rules are simple: kill the other contestants. The winner is the last one standing, but that sim...

Mute the Halo Ahole, Kissing the Chulip, and Paperboy delivered - Welcome to the column that is definitely not the father of Anna Nicole’s kid known as Dare to Play the Game.

Welcome to another edition of Dare to Play the Game. I’m your host that needs to stop playing Rainbow Six @ all hours of the night. I’m up to a Sergeant now, and I think I will get even better. I’m even starting to get the better of some terrorist matches and sharpshooter rounds. But I still have a ...