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FORTNITE: Disney Meets DAWN OF THE DEAD In Mixed Bag Tower Defense

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Fortnite

Tower defense and a dash of procedurally generated maps come together in this hodgepodge of brightly candy-colored zombie slaying gameplay. I’ll be the first to say, that procedurally generated games are not my thing. I can deal with MINECRAFT but outside of that, I’m just not into that sort of thing. I’ll also be the first to tell you that, the zombie genre has become stale and oversaturated for me as of late. AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD and countless other zombie infected formats have long since removed the charm and welcomed pace of early George Romero films. That is why I find a lot of my enjoyment of Epic Games FORTNITE to be such an on again off again surprise.

I have to add that this review is for the game in early access form. Many of you know that means a lot of things can get glitchy or in some cases can mean the game isn’t fully thought out yet. We will absolutely return for another review when the full final build of FORTNITE is released.

The setup is nice and simple enough. The earth has been enveloped in an apocalyptic mysterious purple fog that turns mankind into zombie-like creatures called Husks. These husks wear their victims skin like an American Apparel hoodie. So, hordes of these guys are roaming the face of the earth looking for more folks to turn. Your job, as one of a small group of survivors is to use resources to build in order to protect and upgrade a dome shield that keeps the Husks and fog out.

Primarily, for the first few hours I spent a lot of time familiarizing myself with the messy RPG upgrading tree system, learning how to build and well, that is about it. See, the first few hours are painfully simple in terms of gameplay. You and three other teammates are placed on a procedurally generated map, and spend the first half of the mission gathering resources and building a fortress around your objective, and the second half you and the group fight off hordes of Husks until time runs out and your mission is accomplished. For the most part, that is all there is to gameplay in this early access build. As you can imagine this gets intensely repetitive at a pretty quick rate.

Even when mission objectives are different, the approach remains the same. Basically, it always boils down to: get resources, find the so-and-so, then build to protect the so-and-so and fight off Husks to protect the so-and-so. Then mission accomplished rinse and repeat.

The design is really alluring, in its color scheme and there is even some fun to be had in the first few hours. The problem is you hit a wall due to what the early access build gives. A large part of this comes from teammate focus. When I’m dropped into a map, I begin harvesting resources and then start building a fortress. Sometimes, and even most times, your teammates will have different plans. Some go straight for the objective without building, some lollygag and do neither and some overbuild. If you have a group of four friends to play with and a unified direction, things tend to be a lot more immersive and fun, but playing with strangers makes goals ambiguous as heck.

Between missions, there is a lot going on your home screen. Here you are able to level up your character, assemble a team of ‘survivors’ to assist in protecting your fortress, and build weapons from blueprints. There is even a pretty cute random loot container that comes in the shape of a lama piñata. The problem here is that there is an overwhelming amount of this stuff and you are introduced to the jumble all at once. Seriously, this screen has a ton of stuff to sort through and for the number of things that are shown here, I found very little of it makes a notable difference once you begin a mission.

Once the hordes of husks start coming your way, all the cool weaponry that you equipped is made kinda useless by the us of simple melee weapons. It seems when people run out of bullets they discover that the whole time, they could have been running in and slicing/beating the hell out of the husks using swords or rakes. That aspect really killed the excitement over new guns for me. Why spend resources on that shiny new grenade launcher when you can just run in with a sword and make quick work of them baddies in half the time.

The building system itself is pretty rad. You are able to choose from floors, stairs, walls and ceilings, as well as the ability to choose brick, wood, or metal materials. From there you can lay traps to assist in case the husks get a little too close to your base for comfort. The sky is the literal limit as far as building goes, I built a towering fortress that would have made Sauron proud at one point. For me, the building took some getting used to but was ultimately the strongest part of the game. The problem is that after spending all that time building, the husks hardly ever posed enough of a threat to break into my fortress.

FORTNITE, has plenty of potential, but seems pretty scrambled on its scales of introducing too much info and properly balancing the gameplay mechanics therein. Over the 30 hours that I put in, the game fluctuated between being a blast and being a bore. At its height, a team would work together and have to use more than just a sword against the seldom challenging hordes of husks, at its worst the objective was scattered among teammates and the enemy could be taken down by simple melee button-mashing.  I know there is a game in there somewhere though, otherwise I wouldn’t have put in as much time as I did. With several patches being added over the rest of the year, the game has the potential to be great when its final build is released. Once the full version drops, you guys can totally expect another review.

FORTNITE early access is now available on PC, PS4 and Xbox One.

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New Poster Reveal For Nicolas Cage’s Survival Creature Feature ‘Arcadian’ [Trailer]

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Nicolas Cage Arcadian

In the latest cinematic venture featuring Nicolas Cage, Arcadian emerges as a compelling creature feature, teeming with suspense, horror, and emotional depth. RLJE Films has recently released a series of new images and a captivating poster, offering audiences a glimpse into the eerie and thrilling world of “Arcadian”. Scheduled to hit theaters on April 12, 2024, the film will later be available on Shudder and AMC+, ensuring a wide audience can experience its gripping narrative.

Arcadian Movie Trailer

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has given this film an “R” rating for its “bloody images,” hinting at the visceral and intense experience awaiting viewers. The film draws inspiration from acclaimed horror benchmarks like “A Quiet Place,” weaving a post-apocalyptic tale of a father and his two sons navigating a desolate world. Following a catastrophic event that depopulates the planet, the family faces the dual challenge of surviving their dystopian environment and eluding mysterious nocturnal creatures.

Joining Nicolas Cage in this harrowing journey are Jaeden Martell, known for his role in “IT” (2017), Maxwell Jenkins from “Lost in Space,” and Sadie Soverall, featured in “Fate: The Winx Saga.” Directed by Ben Brewer (“The Trust”) and penned by Mike Nilon (“Braven”), “Arcadian” promises a unique blend of poignant storytelling and electrifying survival horror.

Maxwell Jenkins, Nicolas Cage, and Jaeden Martell 

Critics have already begun to praise “Arcadian” for its imaginative monster designs and exhilarating action sequences, with one review from Bloody Disgusting highlighting the film’s balance between emotional coming-of-age elements and heart-pounding horror. Despite sharing thematic elements with similar genre films, “Arcadian” sets itself apart through its creative approach and action-driven plot, promising a cinematic experience filled with mystery, suspense, and relentless thrills.

Arcadian Official Movie Poster

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‘Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3’ Is a Go with Enhanced Budget and New Characters

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Winnie the Pooh 3

Wow, they’re churning things out fast! The upcoming sequel “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3” is officially moving forward, promising an expanded narrative with a larger budget and the introduction of beloved characters from A.A. Milne’s original tales. As confirmed by Variety, the third installment in the horror franchise will welcome Rabbit, the heffalumps, and the woozles into its dark and twisted narrative.

This sequel is a part of an ambitious cinematic universe that reimagines children’s stories as horror tales. Alongside “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” and its first sequel, the universe includes films such as “Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare”, “Bambi: The Reckoning,” and “Pinocchio Unstrung”. These movies are set to converge in the crossover event “Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble,” slated for a 2025 release.

Winnie the Pooh Poohniverse

The creation of these films was made possible when A.A. Milne’s 1926 children’s book “Winnie-the-Pooh” entered the public domain last year, allowing filmmakers to explore these cherished characters in unprecedented ways. Director Rhys Frake-Waterfield and producer Scott Jeffrey Chambers, of Jagged Edge Productions, have led the charge in this innovative endeavor.

The inclusion of Rabbit, heffalumps, and woozles in the upcoming sequel introduces a new layer to the franchise. In Milne’s original stories, heffalumps are imagined creatures resembling elephants, while woozles are known for their weasel-like characteristics and a penchant for stealing honey. Their roles in the narrative remain to be seen, but their addition promises to enrich the horror universe with deeper connections to the source material.

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How to Watch ‘Late Night with the Devil’ from Home: Dates and Platforms

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Late Night With The Devil

For fans eager to dive into one of this year’s most talked-about horror films from the comfort of their own home, “Late Night with the Devil” will be available for streaming exclusively on Shudder starting April 19, 2024. This announcement has been highly anticipated following the film’s successful theatrical release by IFC Films, which saw it earning rave reviews and a record-breaking opening weekend for the distributor.

“Late Night with the Devil” emerges as a standout horror film, captivating audiences and critics alike, with Stephen King himself offering high praise for the 1977-set film. Starring David Dastmalchian, the movie unfolds on Halloween night during a live late-night talk show broadcast that disastrously unleashes evil across the nation. This found footage-style film not only delivers scares but also authentically captures the aesthetic of the 1970s, drawing viewers into its nightmarish scenario.

David Dastmalchian in Late Night with the Devil

The film’s initial box office success, opening to $2.8 million in 1,034 theaters, underscores its wide appeal and marks the highest opening weekend for an IFC Films release. Critically acclaimed, “Late Night with the Devil” boasts a 96% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 135 reviews, with the consensus praising it for rejuvenating the possession horror genre and showcasing David Dastmalchian’s exceptional performance.

Rotten Tomatoes score as of 3/28/2024

Simon Rother of iHorror.com encapsulates the film’s allure, emphasizing its immersive quality that transports viewers back to the 1970s, making them feel as if they are part of the eerie “Night Owls” Halloween broadcast. Rother lauds the film for its meticulously crafted script and the emotional and shocking journey it takes viewers on, stating, “This whole experience will have viewers of the Cairnes brothers’ film glued to their screen… The script, from beginning to end, is neatly sewn together with an ending that’ll have jaws on the floor.” You can read the full review here.

Rother further encourages audiences to watch the film, highlighting its multifaceted appeal: “Whenever it is made available to you, you must attempt to view the Cairnes Brothers’ latest project as it will make you laugh, it will creep you out, it will amaze you, and it might even strike an emotional cord.”

Set to stream on Shudder on April 19, 2024, “Late Night with the Devil” offers a compelling blend of horror, history, and heart. This film is not just a must-watch for horror aficionados but for anyone looking to be thoroughly entertained and moved by a cinematic experience that redefines the boundaries of its genre.

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