Blog Flume

I am a multimedia designer and aspiring writer from Central Illinois who dreams of bigger things. You are entering the hub of my online world. Welcome. Make yourself at home, read some stuff, click a few things, maybe check out my online portfolio. And of course, if you enjoy your stay, please subscribe.

*NOTE* This blog occasionally contains coarse language. Please use discretion when viewing.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Something that really grinds my gears (tip of the hat to Family Guy)

I’m only going to say this once. “Hysterical” is an adjective that refers to a specific medical/emotional condition, not an incident. As in “marked by or related to hysteria.” The root of the word is “hyster,” meaning “of or from the womb.” The word “hysterical” was originally used to describe women suffering from a neurotic ailment thought to have been caused by some sort of uterine dysfunction. Though some dictionaries will list “very funny” as a sixth or seventh definition, no doubt due to popular usage, sixth doesn’t count in my book. Screw popular usage. So although a HILARIOUS joke might cause a HYSTERICAL person to break out in unadulterated, HYSTERICAL fits of laughter, the joke itself is not hysterical.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Crazy, lazy, trippy, unforgettable chill fest

Cranes - Wings of Joy
four of five stars

This 1991 major-label debut from the alternative band Cranes is truly something to behold. Unique and hypnotic, Wings of Joy is unlike anything else you have ever heard. Though barely a single lyric on the entire album is decipherable, the songs have such a dark, flowing, trance inducing, creepy calmness that the marble-mouthed delivery is not only forgivable, but valued as an integral piece of the album as a whole. It reminds me quite a bit of some of Angelo Badalamenti's work on the Twin Peaks soundtrack. Standouts are "Watersong," "Leaves of Summer" and "Sixth of May."

Cranes have undergone an interesting metamorphosis over the years since this disc's release, now leaning heavily toward an electronic based sound, yet over all that time and change they have maintained their one-of-a-kind "Crane-ness." Each album can stand on its own merits, but if you purchase only one, make it Wings of Joy - on vinyl if you can find it. This is one of those albums that really does have so much more character on vinyl.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Guillermo del Toro to work with THQ on Lovecraftian horror game

Okay, so I'm late to get some news. I just read about this in the latest Game Informer magazine. I can't be the last one to know, though, so I figured I'd share because this is truly exciting news.

Guillermo del Toro, whom you probably know best as director of the very original and eerily atmospheric film Pan's Labyrinth, has engaged the assistance of THQ and Volition to bring to life a video game he's been envisioning for years. The story will arc over three installments, the first of which, titled Insane, is scheduled for release in 2013.

In a Game Informer interview, del Toro confirmed that the game series, "falls squarely in the H.P. Lovecraft horror universe. We are talking about very nasty tentacle things." And it's not your typical survival horror game. Insane promises to be very immersive and strongly emotional. Think about beginning the game believing one thing and by the end, the entire game is reinterpreted in a different light. Del Toro says, "The game is called Insane for a reason. Let me put it that way. I was very attracted to the idea of insanity in-game. That's the origin."

Well, I am definitely interested. Check out this teaser trailer, first revealed during the Video Game Awards.