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David Cutler

I Bought a Video Game Poster!

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By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

For the many years that I’ve been playing video games, I did something the other day that I’ve never done as a gamer.

I was at a local store, and they had a pretty cool poster collection. Most of them were popular television shows and films, like “Stranger Things,” and the blockbuster “Barbie”. One particular poster caught my eye. At first, I couldn’t tell what it was, but something about the artwork intrigued me. I’ve never been a big fan of the “Call of Duty” game series; I’ve played it maybe five times over the years. The wall poster for “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II” with the skeleton soldier with his headphones on just appealed to me for some reason. I had seen the image before, probably around the time the game was released last October. There was a great deal of promotion for the hit game during NFL games last year.

I’m sure Infinity Ward, the company that developed the game, knew they had a hit when celebrities were posting on their social media how excited they were for the release of the game. I think I saw the wall art for “Modern Warfare II” when I was in Best Buy, and it piqued my interest. I haven’t even played “Modern Warfare II”, but I now have the poster on my wall in my garage. I can’t say that my girlfriend likes it, but she’s hardly in my garage and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

The poster is the sort of art that would make a fantastic film poster. When video games start having better posters than movies, what’s happening in movie studio’s art and promotion’s departments. I haven’t bought a movie poster since college. It was a poster for “Judge Dredd”, the Sylvester Stallone film from 1995. Oddly enough, the “Modern Warfare II” poster and the “Judge Dredd” poster are very similar. Both have a close-up image of a character staring right at you, looking menacing. Both are just a face and the title of the game and film.

The marketing team for “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II” did an amazing job of getting images of the game in the public eye and conscience. The game earned $1 billion dollars in its first 10 days of release. “Modern Warfare II” is the fastest-selling “Call of Duty” game of all time.

image source: playstationlifestyle.net



Hodder in the New ‘Chain Saw’ Game

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By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

I’ve never been a huge fan of “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” movie franchise. I found the old ones too scary to watch when I was little, and the dreadful remakes and reboots were forgettable. I quickly erased them from my memory banks right after I watched them. The one with Jessica Beal was dreadful.

When I read about the upcoming video game in the latest issue of “Fangoria Magazine,” I thought the article was fascinating. The new game, developed by Gun in association with Sumo Nottingham, recreates the 1974 film and expands on that world. There are several maps you can play, and the detail is supposed to be stellar.

One of the big things that sold me on the game, that has an August 18 release date, was a single line that I read in “Fangoria”: Kane Hodder as Leatherface. I’ve been a Kane Hodder fan since watching him play Jason Voorhees in “Friday the 13th VII: The New Blood.” He really made the role his own as Jason in “Friday the 13th VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan.” In that sequel, Hodder gave Jason a certain flavor with his distinguished movements and traits. Hodder’s depiction of Jason in “Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday” was the best thing about that awful movie.

Kane Hodder to Play Leatherface in Texas Chainsaw Massacre Game. image source: movieweb.com

I’m curious to see what Hodder does with Leatherface, another iconic horror character. I’m a fan of the slasher film “Hatchet,” the project that Hodder did after playing Jason. It’s over-the-top, but a lot of fun. Hodder wears more prosthetics in the “Hatchet” series, but he doesn’t go through the motions, he’s a real character as Victor Crowley.

I’m still not sure why Hodder didn’t get to play Jason in “Freddy vs. Jason.” Who at New Line Cinema thought that was a wise decision? Jason seemed more cartoonish in that 2003 film. Hodder had a distinctive way of playing the iconic character that the actor who replaced him couldn’t replicate. The way Hodder slightly tilted his head and walked with a calm pace as Jason was always terrifying. The Jason in “Freddy vs. Jason” seemed like he lumbered around throughout the movie.

I may wait a few weeks before I buy “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” game. It looks good, but not being a big “Chain Saw” enthusiast, I’ll probably wait to hear what other gamers think about it.



A Chef’s Kiss – Stern Pinball & Their James Bond 007 Decals

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By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

I stumbled upon a tweet from Stern Pinball where it was showing designers applying decals to a James Bond 007 pinball machine. The cool decals were various James Bond movie posters from the 1960s, the Sean Connery era.

Nothing else at theatres looked like the early Bond posters, like the films. If I were to randomly see those posters on the side of a pinball machine, I’m playing it. The images make anything exciting and intriguing; a movie, a pinball machine… the perfect assortment of colors make you want to be a part of it.

Stern Pinball’s James Bond 007 (Pro)

The “Dr. No” poster looks so quant compared to the other Bond posters, but no movie poster looked quite like it pre-1962. The bright yellow with the title in red lettering made moviegoers take notice, and ask, “What is this ‘Dr. No’?” Connery with the smoking Walther PPK, alongside four of his female costars, is visually stunning to the eye. The palm trees in the lower, righthand corner of the poster gives it a Jamaican feel. It’s not easy to see, but it’s a great touch, right below the title of the first James Bond film. It shows off the Bond universe so well. It is a work of art; I’m sure ad men on Madison Avenue were enamored by the “Dr. No” poster.

I know I probably couldn’t afford a Stern James Bond pinball machine, but I want one so bad. I play a lot of pinball games on my Nintendo Switch; that would drastically change if I had my very own James Bond pinball machine.

Separately, James Bond and pinball machines have given me hours of entertainment and enjoyment. Stern Pinball can’t go wrong putting the two things together.

image source: Stern Pinball Inc.



Gamer Golf or Real Golf?

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By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

Sometimes it’s hard to decide to play golf on Nintendo Switch or play on a real course in the elements. I recently had an experience where I wished that I had stayed home and played golf on my Switch or Playstation.

When you play golf on Switch, you don’t have to worry about other golfers, especially ones with bad attitudes, coming up behind you and giving you anxiety. Playing real golf makes me a little anxious at times anyway.

I was playing on this small, 9-hole course the other day and a light rain was coming down; it was the kind of weather that I liked playing golf in. When I was playing on the 4th hole, a fun par 3, I noticed this older gentleman coming up quickly on the hole behind me. He was playing very fast. When I put my ball into the hole, my phone rang. It was an important call. I walked off the course slightly and took the call. The elderly gentleman played the par 3 rapidly. When he was done, he approached me with a heated look on his face.

He asked, “Do you want to play together?”

“I’d probably slow you down,” I replied. “You can go ahead of me.”

He chuckled and walked on in a huff. I wanted to play alone, and he looked like a fast player. There was no one behind me after the call, so I could take my time.

After some time passed, I was setting up my shot on the 6th tee, and I saw the older gentleman talking to the ground crew guys who were working on the putting green of the hole ahead, hole 7. It looked like he was yelling, and he kept pointing at me. His arms were very animated. I hit my shot with a 3 wood and the ball landed near a sand trap. As I was walking to my ball, I saw the older gentleman coming toward me in the distance.

As he began to approach me, I took a few practice swings with my pitching wedge. My hand on the grip got tighter as he came closer. He looked upset. I stopped studying my shot and just stared at him. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks, and turned around and started walking in the opposite direction. He was muttering something as he left my hole.

After that interaction, I shot 2-over. So, not a bad day on the course in hindsight.

Golf in my living room never involves worrying about any speedy, angry players rushing me. I’ve probably played a round of golf on “Tiger Woods PGA Tour,” on Playstation, hundreds of times, and not once have I ever felt hurried while on a difficult hole.



007 Bond, a Laser Watch, and Rolex

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By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

“From Russia with Love” is one of the best James Bond video games. Sean Connery made a rare return to the iconic character by contributing his voice to the EA Redwood Shores (now Visceral Games) game. The fact that EA Redwood Shores got Connery back to voice Bond seems miraculous now. Having him contribute to something new in the 007 medium was an incredible accomplishment on EA’s part.

The 2005, third-person shooter video game is as entertaining as the classic Bond film it’s based on. I liked how the game used elements from the later films, like the jet pack from “Thunderball,” and the Aston Martin DB5 that was introduced in “Goldfinger.” Entertainment Arts should have produced another Bond game with Connery’s younger likeness as Bond; however, they lost the rights to Activision in 2006.

I really enjoyed using the laser watch in the “From Russia with Love” game. You used the wristwatch to penetrate bulletproof glass and destroy control panels. The watch in the game looks like Bond’s Rolex Submariner 6538. During the great action of the game, it’s sort of difficult to see an up-close image of the classic wristwatch, but it looks like the iconic Submariner 6538 to me.

JAMES BOND’S ROLEX SUBMARINER 6538. Image source: everestbands

In the scene at the beginning of “Goldfinger,” when Connery, dressed in a white tuxedo, peers down at his Rolex Submariner, it may have been one of the most blatant product placements in a film. I’ve always wondered how many Rolex Submariners were sold due to that quick shot in “Goldfinger” when Connery steadily lights up the face of the wristwatch with his lighter.

I’m sure there were thousands of men who saw that watch in “Goldfinger” and went directly to a jeweler. I’m sure a Rolex was as expensive in 1964 as they are today, adjusted cost, of course. The Rolex Submariner 6538 has become such an iconic watch because of Bond. Almost sixty years after the release of “Goldfinger,” Rolex is still the ultimate luxury watch. There’s Tag Heuer and Richard Mille, but Rolex seems like a classic, just like James Bond.



We Need a Good ‘Hitman’ Movie

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By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

With “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” breaking records at the global box office, it makes me wonder why it took Hollywood so long to produce such a successful film based on a video game property. There have been other films based on video games that have made money (“Sonic the Hedgehog” and its sequel), but nothing like the grosses of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” It’ll easily pass the $1 billion mark worldwide.

I caught the “Hitman” films on cable recently, and as someone who loves the games, one thought raced through my mind: How did they screw this up? The 2007 “Hitman” film, starring Timothy Olyphant as the assassin, had no redeemable value whatsoever…it’s a violent mess that gets mindbogglingly boring by the third act. And the villains were cartoons. When I saw it in the movie theater, I was peering at my watch, waiting for the credits to roll. Olyphant is an immensely talented actor; he couldn’t even save the film.

The 2007 Hitman film starring Timothy Olyphant was a violent mess

The “Hitman” world from the games is so rich and sprawling. Producers and Hollywood executives had enough material from the iconic game for five movies. Or they could’ve taken all the great parts of the games and put them in one film.

When I heard the news that Rupert Friend was set to star in “Hitman: Agent 47,” I had hoped that the film could be exceptional. I was a fan of Rupert Friend’s performance on the Showtime series “Homeland.” He was terrific as CIA operative Peter Quinn. The British actor was miscast as the assassin. I remember being confused by the muddled opening credits that had clips that were more interesting than most of the action sequences in the film. It didn’t help that every actor and actress in the movie seemed extremely wooden.

“Hitman 2: Silent Assassin” is one of my favorite video games. The IO Interactive developed, stealth video game had the best storyline of any “Hitman.” Back in the early 2000s, I played “Silent Assassin” on my GameCube. The story of Codename 47 who comes out of retirement when his friend, Reverend Emilio Vittorio, is kidnapped by unknown assailants, could make a great plot for a “Hitman” film. It’s not an origin story, but it could be an excellent spine for a screenplay. 47 resumes work for the ICA in hopes of finding his close friend.

I doubt a studio will finance another “Hitman” film after the dismal box office returns of the previous two. However, the “Hitman” games are so iconic, there must be a filmmaker who can put their own imaginative spin on the vast property.



An ‘SNL’ Sketch Sold a ‘Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’ Unit

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By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

Two weeks ago, I bought a copy of “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” because of “Saturday Night Live’s” “HBO Mario Kart Trailer” sketch.

Pedro Pascal is one of my favorite actors. His performance on the Netflix series “Narcos” is incredible, and when his character, Javier Pena, was no longer on the hit series, I stopped watching. When I saw that he was hosting “Saturday Night Live,” I was excited and instantly thought to myself, what took so long?

In my freshman year of college, my roommates and I would play “Mario Kart 64” on Nintendo 64 for hours after classes. We would often bet a six-pack of beer on a race. Sometimes the person who came in last would have to buy a 24 case for the other racers to share. Everyone was on a college budget, so you really didn’t want to finish last.

I haven’t played the game in a few years, but when I watched the great “SNL” sketch, it piqued my interest again in the iconic game. The sketch was one of the funniest things that the writers have come up with this season; and it’s been an exceptional season. The spin on Pedro Pascal’s involvement in HBO’s “The Last of Us” and a dystopian “Mario Kart” world was brilliant and cleverly funny. When I first watched the sketch, I thought, that’s going to go viral. Since it’s airing, the sketch has had 12 million views on YouTube.

A couple of weeks ago, I was looking over all the Nintendo Switch games at my local Best Buy. My mind went to the “SNL” sketch, and I realized I didn’t own a single “Mario Kart” game. That afternoon, I purchased “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” and played the game for hours when I arrived home.

I’m sure “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” will have numerous references to “Mario Kart.” I just hope they somehow include my favorite racetrack in the film, Sweet Sweet Canyon…but I doubt it.



My ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ Weekend

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By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

Here is a little secret about entertainment: if something is good, people are usually going to find it and make it a success.

I’ve stayed away from buying a “Sonic the Hedgehog” game for all my life, but one recent weekend, I decided to purchase “Sonic Forces” and “Sonic Mania” for Nintendo Switch.

I’ve always played “Sonic” in a friend’s dorm room or at an arcade when I was younger, but I never bought a “Sonic” game; and I had a Sega when I was a teenager. All weekend long, I went back-and-forth playing the two Sonic games. I played “Sonic Mania” a little more because I like the retro look and feel to it.

The main thing that I’ve always enjoyed about “Sonic” games is the speed. I’m not the greatest at collecting tokens, however, I’ll get through each stage in a speedy fashion. When I land on some spikes and lose all my tokens, I’m never fazed by it. My focus is always trying to get to the end of the stage. I’m always trying to break my previous record; my time is my focus.

Before buying the games, my last interaction with “Sonic the Hedgehog” was the first film, back in 2020. I tried watching “Sonic the Hedgehog” with Jim Carrey; I got about an hour in, and said to myself, “This movie wasn’t made for me.” I hear kids love the film franchise. Worldwide, both films made $725 million combined. A third film is in the works for 2024.

When I went into my Sonic cave for the weekend, I couldn’t stop playing, I was enjoying myself so much. Yes, the game is hugely popular and iconic, but the game play, like the original “Super Mario Bros.,” is still thrilling and engaging.

And, like “Mario,” there are many iterations of “Sonic” to come. In the future, I may buy a third “Sonic” game.

image source: Ausretrogamer



Playing ‘The Last of Us’ Again

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By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

After watching the HBO smash hit “The Last of Us,” I think I’ll go back and play the original game again. The popular series tells the story of a smuggler and a teenage girl in a zombie-infested world.

When I first played “The Last of Us” when it was released in 2013, I thought the action-adventure, survival horror game was captivating and enjoyable, but I wasn’t into it that much. I played it like crazy for about a week, and then I moved on to something else. I did start a new job around the time I bought the epic game, so that might’ve contributed to me losing interest.

The HBO series has an incredible production budget, and it unquestionably shows. You are in the series’ post-apocalyptic 2023. The attention to detail is impeccable. It’s been almost ten years since I’ve played the game; breaking the game out again after watching the show sounds fun.

The show has done an amazing job creating the look of the blind infected, the “clicker” zombies, from the video game. I can see several award nominations for the series on the horizon. They are even scarier in the television series. In Episode 2, when Joel fought with one of the “clickers,” the choreography was taken directly from the massively successful game.

“The Last of Us” television show has knocked it out of the park since its debut on HBO. I thought the zombie genre was sort of getting stale, but “The Last of Us” feels like a fresh spin on the genre. The cinematography of the first three episodes has been visually flawless.

According to the industry website gamesindustry.biz, the television series is drawing in new “The Last of Us” game players, too. After the show’s release, sales jumped in the United Kingdom. Sony has already sold 37 million “The Last of Us” themed video games since the release of the original.

With only a small sample of three episodes, I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a Season 2, in 2024 or ’25. By then, time allowing, I can be caught up on playing some of the franchise. It’s a rich world that the developers of “The Last of Us” series have created for new, different mediums.



‘Star Wars Pinball’ on Nintendo Switch

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By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

Playing “Star Wars Pinball” on my Nintendo Switch will never be as entertaining and fun as actually playing a standing pinball machine in an arcade or restaurant, but it comes pretty close.

When I purchased “Star Wars Pinball” before Christmas, I had no idea how much I would end up playing it in my spare time. I really enjoy playing pinball in my living room; I never thought it would be possible. Sometimes, I play it on my Switch when I’m in the backyard or I’ll play a quick game in the car when I’m waiting for someone. When I start playing “Star Wars Pinball” it’s hard to put my controller or Switch down. It took me a few days to explore every table option. My highest score is on the “Return of the Jedi” table with somewhere around 16 million.

I play “Star Wars Pinball” the way I watch the films; I usually stick to the original trilogy, and by “original” I mean the “A New Hope,” “The Empire Strikes Back,” and “Return of the Jedi.” However, the “Rogue One” table is a blast to play. Gareth Edwards’ “Rogue One” is my favorite Star Wars film behind “Empire.” Orson Krennic is prominently featured on the “Rogue One” pinball table. Ben Mendelsohn, who played Krennic, is underrated in the 2016 film. Krennic is sort of a tragic character; he’s the villain who’s killed by what he created and believed in.

The voices sound nothing like the original Star Wars actors, like James Earl Jones and Mark Hamill. Han Solo sounds like a voice actor attempting to do a poor, Harrison Ford impression.

My favorite pinball option is the Boba Fett table. Jabba the Hutt makes a cameo, and you can hit the ball into the Sarlacc that’s at the top of the table. Some of my highest scores are playing the Fett and the “Return of the Jedi” tables. The “Jedi” table has so many lights and colorful features that it’s difficult to see the ball at times. I like it when you’re playing the Fett table and the play stops as Darth Vader comes out, and tells Boba Fett, forcefully, “No disintegrations.” You get an appearance from Vader and Jabba the Hutt; probably my two favorite characters in the Star Wars universe.

The Boba Fett themed table is a pinball machine that you’d find in Jabba’s Palace, if it wasn’t fictional. It feels authentic to the Tatooine location that George Lucas created. Although, I don’t understand why they have Han Solo frozen in carbonite, hanging over the Sarlacc.

“Star Wars Pinball” has quickly become one of my favorite Switch games. Yet, “FIFA ’23” is still my go-to game.

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