Merry Christmas Eve or whatever you celebrate at this time of year! It’s been a long two years working on this site, but I find it fun and interesting for the most part. Scheduling content, not so much. But that goes with the territory.
One of the key things I have been working on is splitting out some of the sections to sites that make more sense. For example, I’m splitting the movie section, or at least parts of it that fit more of the grindhouse/extreme/weird 70s sex comedy portions off to a site called Cringe Cinema Club. I chose the name because whether the films make you cringe in a good way (the extreme violence against rapists in I Spit on Your Grave) or a bad way (sexual assault is funny as in H.O.T.S.), I kinda love a lot of these films even if they were problematic when they were made. It’s easy to give the excuse that “things were different back then,” but I Spit On Your Grave was reviled by film reviewers and many audiences alike. It was mainly through its own infamy through the revulsion and the video market that it became so notorious. When Siskel or Ebert hates on your film so bad, it is often bound for infamy. It happened with Friday the 13th as well. But I quite like ISOYG and the remakes. It’s just not an easy thing to bring up at dinner parties, which is good since I dont attend such things.
I am also splitting out some of the game content to a site called Super Cool Game Club. Yes, I got a holiday discount on .club domains. But it also fits the feel I have wanted for the game section better than a general purpose nostalgia site. I know that not everyone shares my weird obsession with retro computers and video games, so I decided that I would splinter it off into a site where people who do share it can find the content.
Super Cool Game.Club
Cringe Cinema.Club
Below is the December YouTube music playlist.
Weekly Finds
I pull a lot of the items about gaming and movie news here from a number of sources: The Atari Age forums, Retro Indie News, Time Extension, IGN, Retro Hour podcast, Itch.io, Facebook, Twitter, etc. What shows up here will change weekly depending on what I happen to find in the wild. I try to include the original sources in the links.
Embracer closes Free Radical, laying off 80 employees (GamesIndustry.biz)
I said last week that I use the previous week’s post as a template, and it seems that there is nothing but bad news from the Embracer group. Well, it continues this week as well. The latest studios affected by the restructuring of Embracer are Slipgate and 3D Realms. I have friends who work there and really hope they’re not in the cuts. But with the announcement and dire recollections of those devs who were cut, it seems likely.
Embracer reportedly cuts staff at 3D Realms & Slipgate (gamedeveloper.com)
Daily Drop Roundup
You can get daily drops in your socials wherever you live. First Facebook link is the the Nostalgia Drop page, and the second is to the group. The group is more fun.
December 17th, 2023
Michael Jackson – “Billie Jean”
Belted Dresses
Tobal 2 (1997)
Tobal 2 (1997) proved that you could almost double the roster of Suikoden’s “Stars of Destiny” in a fighting game and add a compelling quest mode. Unfortunately, it also never made it to the West. But damn was it a fun game that built on the foundation of the first.
The Virgin Suicides (1999)
The Virgin Suicides (1999) was Sophia Coppola’s first foray into directing. Based on Jeffrey Eugenides’s novel, it portrays adult men remembering their childhood and the Lisbon sisters who died in a suicide pact back in 1975.
December 18th, 2023
Stray Cats – “Rock This Town”
Scholastic Book Fair
Kung Fu Master (1984)
Kung Fu Master (1984) Thomas must punch and kick his way through five levels of the Devil’s Temple to rescue his girlfriend Sophia from the crime boss, Mr. X. Strictly a side-scrolling brawler, the boss battles played out more like a 1 on 1 fighting game.
Clueless (1995)
Clueless (1995) is about vapid, rich girls. And I love it. I know people who I truly believe the writers followed around and just wrote down everything they said for weeks and then put it all into a script to make millions. Also, a young Paul Rudd…who still looks the same.
December 19th, 2023
Judas Priest – “Breakin’ the Law”
Tomy Toys Owl Answer Clock
Street Fighter II (1991)
Street Fighter II (1991) is one of the greatest fighting games of all time. It was much more complex that the original title, and had a larger roster of fighters. It would go on to inspire some of the greatest fighting games of the period.
Lost in America (1985)
December 20th, 2023
Midnight Oil – “Beds are Burning”
Melody Mike
Virtua Fighter (1993)
Private Benjamin (1980)
December 21st, 2023
Dead or Alive – “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)”
Pet Rock
Last Blade (1997)
Murder By Death (1976)
December 22nd, 2023
Expose – “Point of No Return”
Glow Worm
Darkstalkers 3 (1997)
A Fine Mess (1986)
December 23rd, 2023
Pseudo Echo – “Funky Town”
Family Tree House
Mortal Kombat (1992)
Gas (1981)
Weekly Tears
Camden Toy (1955-2023)
Camden Toy was a character actor who specialized in villians and creatures in horror films as well as television series such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
He passed away on December 11th, 2023.
Kenny DeForest (1986-2023)
Kenny DeForest was a stand-up comedian known for appearances on Late Night with Seth Meyers.
He passed away on December 13th, 2023.
James McCaffrey (1958-2023)
James McCaffrey was a voice actor known for the role of Max Payne trilogy and Alan Wake.
She passed away on December 17th, 2023.