Forward Unto...New Website!

Hello there fans,

Well the day you've been eagerly anticipating is finally here, and most impressively, a day early!

Your favorite entertainment blog/podcast is finally consolidated in one fancy new home. From this moment on you can find PAUSED! in all its glory on our new site:

www.pausedreviews.com

Yes, you read right. No more .blogspot or .weebly or .anything, we finally own our domain and have put all that is PAUSED! in one convenient place. This will require one small inconvenience on your part. Since we will no longer be posting on this blog site (this being our last post ever on blogspot actually), you will have to re-subscribe to the blog on our new page to continue to receive an email alert when we've written a new blog post.

We will still continue to send out links to our posts on Twitter and Facebook, however for those of you not using those social sites, we highly recommend subscribing.

As I mentioned before, this new site will be built out in stages over the course of the next few months. Here is what you can expect to see:

Stage 1: Available Now!

• The Blog and Podcast episodes located on one, convenient site www.pausedreviews.com
• All new look/design
• Working Contact page on site

Stage 2: Coming Soon (1-2 weeks)

• About PAUSED! page on site
• Contests page outlining active monthly contests, prizes, and polls. Complete with web-generated forms for easy submittals!

Stage 3: Down the Line (1-2 months)

• Podcast hosted on iTunes for convenient listening and downloading on all your iTunes-ready mobile devices. Fear not, all episodes will still be posted in our archive. (This may take less time, all dependent on how long it takes to get approval)
• Donation page on site. So fans can help support their favorite blog/podcast and help keep us running!

Stage 4: Down the Road (6-10 months)

• PAUSED! Store, where fans can purchase PAUSED! gear to sport out and about and show your support for the greatest blog/podcast in history...ever!

Thank you to all our fans who have stuck with us through 3 different sites, 18 ways to reach us, and 29 places to track your favorite blog. This is all for you! To our new listeners, we hope you enjoy all the new changes, and the many more to come!

Catch you all on the flip side!

- Franc, Pol and Dre

Meet the Croods...Not Your Average Family

Hello Everyone,

What makes a family special? Is it their relationship with one another? Is it that they listen to each other? Most likely its the special bond that each and every family member has with each other; love.

If you haven't seen the movie, The Croods, you should at least take your little one (child) to go watch it. Their hasn't been a "real kid movie", in a while. One that is innocent, funny and produces a simple message. That every family has problems, but when the going gets tough its the special bond between families that allows them to achieve the impossible...such as surviving the shifting of the continents.

The Croods, are a family of cave people. They have their issues, but it allows them to survive the danger's of their world (our world, just millions of years ago). As with most great kids movies, this film has the perfect blend of jokes for both adults and wee ones. So you and your kid will be equally entertained.

I don't want to ruin the movie for anyone who hasn't seen it, but the Croods have to learn to adapt to their new environment when their cave gets destroyed by the shifting of the tectonic plates. They meet a more evolved human who teaches them that strength isn't the only way to solve problems. That thinking outside the box and creating ideas can do more good than smashing things. The Croods, make a few animals friends along the way and get to learn more about themselves then they could have imagined.

This is a wonderful movie for families. You could say that it is DVD buyable. The only downside to this movie is one of the characters voice over. I don't mean to be picky but I just didn't feel like Nicholas Cage was the right choice as the voice of the father. Personally, i just didn't really feel  his voice expressed the types of emotions that were required. At times, I was a little caught of guard that he was the acting voice. But that was the only downside

My movie rating is 7 out 10. The message was the clear, the animation was very well done and their was alot of comedy mixed in with adventure. Overall a good movie.

As always, feel free to comment here, or email us at pausedreviews@gmail.com, or message us on Facebook and Twitter.

-Dre

Ghosts Were Never Meant To Be Friendly

Welcome All who were lied to as a child by your parents that ghosts were just really nice blankets. If you haven't already heard or seen any of the promotions. Then I congratulate you (*golf clap*).

Yes, it is true, the giant in the first-person shooter genre has revealed the next installment in their record-breaking franchise, Call of Duty: GHOSTS (slated to release 11/05/13).

There is such a tight grip on this game that nothing else has been released. Accept for the trailer; giving us a background on what cultures used their masks for. Some of the masks were very impressive. But so far their are no details on weapons, maps or specifics on characters. Except that it may be a game that can be likened to Halo: ODST. We can only wait for the reveal on May 21st, 2013 to see more details unfold.

The only real "hint" of information that has been released, is that Call of Duty: GHOSTS will be running on a next-generation system. I'm only guessing that more things will go "boom" and will have more interactive environments.

If you have seen on the Xbox 360 they are taking pre-orders (WAIT!). With the pre-order you are given a silenced sub-machine gun that has fancy camouflage and a poster! Now who doesn't want a poster to cover up the hole you and your friend made while jumping on a tred-mill going full speed?

To recap, nothing is being released. We all have to wait until May 21st. So before you pre-order, be smart this game could just be like Halo: ODST, where the campaign is a bit different but the multiplayer is the same as before. Finally, for those who like to live longer than five seconds after spawning (coming back to life) than try out Battlefield 3 and don't waste your time. You want to enjoy a game that you play and not get upset/angry over people that "spray and pray" until they hit something.

Email, Facebook and Twitter if you have any questions or comments and please send all hate mail to Pol; he loves that stuff and thanks again for reading.

-Dre 

New Release Tuesday! 5/7/13

Hey there kids! It's that time of the week again...New Release Tuesday! There a few titles out this week that I am super excited to check out. So without further adieu, here is the breakdown:

Jack Reacher and Mama are two movies that I really wanted to check out in theaters, but was just never able to get a chance to see. Jack Reacher got a 7.0 from IMDB, which let's be honest with ourselves, is pretty good for a Tom Cruise movie. Personally, I love Cruise, and pretty much any movie he's ever been in. I mean, you have to respect any actor that can make NASCAR look awesome. Mama got a 6.4, but again, not bad for a horror flick, and Guillermo del Torro is amazing. He'll lay some duds from time to time (yea, I'm talking to you Hellboy), but if you give him a chance, he may just Pan's Labyrinth you.

I think I'll pass on Safe Haven (6.3 IMDB). Truthfully, I think Julianne Hough is one of America's worst actors. To the point where she may one day have a Paused! scale named after her. Also, I've had it with Nicholas Sparks. I'll give him The Notebook, it was pretty great and fairly original. But now, I'm done. I mean how many times can one man write the same book, and an even better question, how many times can movie studios buy the same rights to a movie? If there is one thing I could care less about than paperback romance novels, its movies based on paperback romance novels. At least those have the decency to give us some dirty sex scenes.

I honestly don't know much about The Oranges, but it looks like it has some great people in it. However, with a 5.7 on IMDB, I may approach this one with caution. Finally, the 7th and final season of the greatest comedy in TV history, 30 Rock. What can I say about this show, that hasn't already been said about electricity, cheese, cows, America and the rest of the universe's greatest inventions. I've already ordered my copy and will be adding it to the shelf with it's 6 older brothers (seasons 1-6, in case that analogy passed you by).

Here are the rest of the titles releasing today:

• The Fringe: The Complete 5th Season (8.5 IMDB)
• Flashpoint: The 5th Season (7.0 IMDB)
• Private Practice: The Complete 6th Season (5.9 IMDB)
• Rookie Blue: The Complete 3rd Season (6.9 IMDB)
• Royal Pains: Season 4 (6.8 IMDB)

Thanks for reading, and let us know you opinions on any of this week's titles. As always, you can comment here, email us at pausedreviews@gmail.com, or message us on Facebook or Twitter.

Enjoy!

Franc

Every Knight has it's Dawn...

So Dre and I were talking last night and he asked if there were any games I was looking forward to. With the announcement of Call of Duty's upcoming installment entitled Ghosts, Dre was pretty much off the wall excited about what's coming around the bend. (Side note: Keep and eye out for Dre's post about Call of Duty: Ghosts, coming at you soon).

Since I tend to be the resident "movie guy" on our team, people can often forget that I do also enjoy a good game. As many of you already know, I also enjoy pretty much anything Batman. So as you can imagine, when those two things come together, I must excuse myself from the room, breathe deeply into a paper bag, and change my pants.

Now that I have calmed down a bit, I figured I would share my glee with you, our loyal, and borderline obsessed with us fans. Much like the game itself, let us begin...from the beginning...

A New Dawn Rises: Origins

Here is the basic premise of Batman: Arkham Origins. This prequel to the brilliant Arkham series takes us back several years before the events of Arkham Asylum and Arkham City. We are introduced to a young, and inexperienced Batman, scanning the streets of Gotham on Christmas Eve. The Black Mask has put out a bounty on the Dark Knight's head, and all the low-lifes from the pages of the DC Universe are Gotham bound to collect. 

Batman must now fight to outsmart and defeat the endless stream of thugs and elite assassins who are out to collect on his head, as well as the corrupt cops in the GCPD who are eager to kill him and sell his body to the highest bidder. At the same time, the world's greatest detective must discover why the Black Mask is out for his head, and prove to those cops who remain on the side of good, that he fights for them, and for Gotham City. 

The reigns for this latest installment of the Arkham franchise have been turned over to Warner Bros. Games Montreal. The new WB team takes over the mantle from Rocksteady after 2 highly successful efforts. While Rocksteady was involved with helping WBGM learn the engine that powers the free flowing fighting, dark and gritty environments and overall bad-assery that defines the Arkham series, and that we all have grown to love. Rocksteady has said that they have full faith in WBGM and are glad to see the new team make this latest game their own.

Pros and Cons to a Prequel

Of course with any new installment to a franchise, you have inherent cons. The biggest of which has to be the question, "Will the game live up to it's predecessors?" This is especially true here, as we are dealing with a complete changing of the guard as well. However, as we all saw when 343 Industries picked up the flag that is Halo from Bungie, that's not always a bad thing.

Right off the bat, there are some really great things that we can think of that will come from having an Arkham prequel. First, it opens the gates to introducing new characters, and adding some meat to those we already know. Allow me to explain what I mean. When we begin with Arkham Asylum, we are thrown into a world in which Batman has existed for some time. Through his experiences as Batman he has forged friendships and enemies, and we come into the story several steps behind the curve, and spend the rest of the game playing catch up, learning how these ties were formed. We have also been limited with who we are introduced to. The casual fan may only be familiar with the starting line-up of the Rogues Gallery. Therefore, we are limited to enemies like Poison Ivy, Bane, Harley Quinn and of course, The Joker. This is no longer the case.

Lt. Branden

The Black Mask

Deathstroke

With the franchise now taking a look backwards, we can now be introduced to great new characters and villians that otherwise might be excluded from the game. We can see Batman face off against such greats as The Black Mask and Deathstroke, and we can watch as these rivalries are formed in "real time" as we see them through the eyes of the Dark Knight himself. 

On that same line of thought, we can also delve deeper into how other relationships are formed. How the corruption of Commissioner Loeb and his right hand man, Lt. Branden, will lead to their downfall, opening the way for the one-and-only Commissioner Gordon. How bonds were formed, and enemies made can be better explained, and frankly, I couldn't be more excited to see how they do this, and how casual fans will react to the new faces that I've loved for so long!

What's New? The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

As with any new game or film in development, rumors run rampant. Batman: Arkham Origins is no exception. Here are some facts and rumors that have peaked our interest.

1. Fact: Prequel Brings Youth to Batman

                                                                                    

Fans will be introduced to a new, young, and vastly inexperienced Batman. While game developers ensure us this is not a "true origin" story, we are seeing Batman in his early years. With that comes some new struggles we'll have to face. In the other Arkham games, we play as a Batman who is a well oiled machine. Fighting abilities, detective skills, and strong moral code are all finely honed. In this new game...not so much. Developers tell us of a Batman who, "...is going to make mistakes, but never makes the same mistake twice". A scene from the demo shows Batman questioning a thug, and not knowing the limitations of mere mortals, takes things a bit too far. These are the "growing pains" that we will experience as we work through the game as this young Batman.

2. Rumored: What's in a Name...and for That Matter, a Voice?

Batman The Animated Series

Kevin Conroy

It is rumored that the great Kevin Conroy will not voice the Caped Crusader in WBGM's latest Arkham effort. Kevin Conroy gave voice to Batman in the amazing animated series of the early '90's, as well as in several animated films, and in the first two Arkham games, and the latest DC release Injustice: Gods Among Us. Rumors are flying that WBGM may not enlist the voice of Batman for this prequel, in an effort to depict a young, just starting out, Bruce Wayne. It is rumored that they will go with a new, no name, actor to voice the Knight in Origins.

3. Rumored: Why Fight AI, When You Can Fight Friends!

Game developers have hinted that there may be a multiplayer element to Batman: Arkham Origins. Not much is known about, a) whether or not this is true, or b) what a multiplay facet to the game will entail. However, leaks mention playing as some of Jokers thugs attempting to thwart the Dark Knight. Rumors about playable and customizable multiplayer characters such as Bane, Deathstroke, and others have also been heard from little birds. 

We'll see if any of this actually comes to fruition. However, even in rumor form, it's a bit exciting, and what a great way for Warner Bros. Games Montreal to step out of the shadow of Rocksteady.

Well, I hope you enjoyed reading this, and I hope it gets you as pumped as I am. Honestly, I can't wait to get on the Box and go to work in the actual streets of Gotham (this being the first game in the franchise that actually takes place in Gotham City) and own some new villians. Also, the idea of how incredible the game will look, with the grittiness and bleakness that is Batman/Gotham, set to a Christmas theme. Even in what we've seen in the screenshots, it looks amazing!

Definitely look out for this game, slated to hit shelves on October 25, 2013!

As always, send us your thoughts, let us know what you think, share your fears/concerns and or excitement with us! You can always comment here, or email us at pausedreviews@gmail.com, or message us on Facebook and Twitter. 

Thanks for reading!

- Franc

Silver Linings gets the Silver medal...at best

This movie is the definition of over-hyped. Let's just open with that. I was so excited to watch this movie, and honestly, I blame myself. I should've known better. The only movie to ever be this hyped, and live up to it, was The Dark Knight, and this is clearly not The Dark Knight.

As Pol would say, "give me the dessert first", so I'll start with the one, redeeming quality of this film, great acting. Everyone in this movie did an amazing job. Especially Jennifer Lawrence and Robert De Niro. De Niro's role in this film was the one thing that was undersold. De Niro plays Cooper's father in the film who suffers from severe OCD with a dash of Bipolar. His character in the film has gone undiagnosed his whole life, and he plays it beautifully. You totally believe this man was high functioning enough that no one would have picked up on it, but at home, where he's totally himself, his mental issues are clear as day. So well done, and De Niro in a way you've never seen him before.

Jennifer Lawrence deserved every bit of that Oscar for her role as Tiffany, Pat's (Cooper) counterpart/love interest. She plays crazy like she wrote the book on crazy. Unlike her fellow female Oscar winner, Anne Hathaway, Lawrence truly deserved the win. Hathaway essentially won for being in Les Mis for 4 minutes and singing one great song. I'm pretty sure Adele had already taken home that award for her song, Skyfall. Lawrence on the other hand steals the screen for 2 hours and hits you on every level.

Finally, Bradley Cooper, also does an incredible job in this film. Like De Niro, he plays a character you've never seen him play before, and he sells it beautifully. He has a few moments that are just laugh out loud funny, and his dynamic with his "friend" played by Chris Tucker, really leaves you wishing that was a larger part of the film. Cooper really shows you his range in this one, and makes you believe in life after hangovers.

With that said, on to the not so good. While this movie was incredibly acted, literally everyone in the movie played the same role. It is 2 hours of watching 8-10 people in various rooms, being off their balls bonkers. It's funny at first, but very soon becomes tiresome, and annoying. The story never takes you very far, it's all very predictable, and as great as the characters can be at times, I never found myself relating to, or really feeling invested in any of them.

The movie also just seemed to drag on. Mainly because every scene was identical to the last. Personally, I found this film to be a disappointment, primarily due to how much everyone built it up. I'm not sure if XBox Video has a different cut of the film, but we must not have been watching the same movie.

I give this move a 6.25 on the Paul Bettany Scale, and every bit of that is thanks to De Niro and Lawrence. Personally, I would not have recommended this movie to anyone. By the end it leaves you feeling let down, and a bit crazy. Kind of like Requiem for a Dream did, except without the desire to jump off a bridge.

I say, don't waste your time on this one, do some pushups instead and watch a plant grow for 2 hours.

Let us know what you think, if you agree or disagree. We'd love to hear your thoughts. As always you can comment here, email us at pausedreviews@gmail.com, or message us on Facebook or Twitter.

Thanks for reading!

- Franc

Episode 4 is up and ready!

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Episode 4, is now posted and ready for you on the podcast archive. I must apologize for a minor inconvenience however. As we are working to improve our site, it seems we are experiencing a problem with the audio player.

However, fear not. If you simply click on the download file link for today's episode, it will play in your browser. Or, as always, you can of course download it to play later on your favorite mobile devices.

Thank you for your patience as we work through all the bugs, but in the mean time, enjoy today's episode!

http://pausedreviews.weebly.com/podcast-archive.html

Thanks for listening!

- Franc, Pol and Dre