Author - Jerry Paxton

FEAST Coming to Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor

2017/07/31

LONG BEACH, Calif., (July 31, 2017) – A new voracious resident spirit has risen from the depths of the Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor, Southern California’s most authentically terrifying haunt, opening September 28. Chef and his long-forgotten legend have resurfaced and will be brought to life through FEAST, the new horrific maze onboard the ship venturing into previously unrevealed areas of the Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor. Chef and his carnivorous kitchen staff have resumed their deadly duties, collecting new victims for Chef’s latest recipes. All who dare will swelter with fear as they crawl their way out of Chef’s scorching oven to reach their final destination…Are YOU ready to be served?

For the first time in Dark Harbor history, FEAST will be the 4^th maze onboard the legendary vessel. FEAST tells the tale of Chef, a legendary spirit of the historic R.M.S. Queen Mary. As the tale goes, During WWII when the Queen Mary was in service as a troop transport ship, an enlisted military man serving in the ship’s kitchen quickly moved up the ranks to become a highly-decorated Chef.

Unbeknownst to the soldiers traveling aboard, Chef had a dark side. Quietly he would sedate soldiers in the middle of the night to prepare them as ingredients for his latest dishes. Eventually caught, the Chef was thrown into one of his own ovens and cooked alive.

Loyal to their leader Chef’s dutiful kitchen staff sacrificed their lives to become his evil henchmen, burning themselves in the same oven. The spirits of Chef and his evil crew went into hiding aboard the ship for many years. Now, these long-time stowaways have resurfaced to resume their deadly duties of collecting and preparing victims for Chef’s latest concoctions.

FEAST and Chef will make their horrific debut as Dark Harbor returns to the Queen Mary on September 28. Southern California’s most haunted Halloween event will welcome MORE monsters, MORE nights, and MORE mazes than ever before. Offering the most authentically frightening experience available, Dark Harbor tells the truly haunted, historic tales of the Queen Mary. The infamous spirits of Chef, Iron Master, Captain, Samuel the Savage, Graceful Gale, Half-Hatch Henry, Scary Mary, Voodoo Priestess, Ringmaster, plus hundreds of their bloodcurdling henchmen await to tempt your fate.

Live your nightmares aboard the Queen Mary with returning mazes Soulmate and B340. Mazes Circus, Intrepid, Deadrise, and Lullaby also return newly intensified, darker than imaginable, and evermore twisted. With 7 mazes and 13 bars, fire shows, aerialists, sliders, Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch’s Sinister Swings, monster DJs, Voodoo House Bar & Tasting Room, R.I.P. Lounge, and much more, Dark Harbor is a freakishly fun time.

The annual haunt opens its gates on September 28 and continues to scare those who dare on select nights through November 1. General admission ticket prices start at just $20 online, with Fast Fright, VIP Passes, Creepy Cabanas and lodging packages available. For more information or to purchase tickets online, visit www.queenmary.com/dark-harbor.

Knott’s Scary Farm Midsummer Scream Panel Video

2017/07/30

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, Halloween, News, Trailers / Videos

July 30, 2017 – Knott’s Scary Farm, the largest most haunting Halloween experience in Southern California, unveiled hair-raising news and details about its 45^th season at the Midsummer Scream Halloween festival. Knott’s held an exclusive panel for fans featuring Scary Farm maze designer, Jon Cooke. Here’s what’s coming to Knott’s Scary Farm this season:

· The lineup for this year will return with 13 haunted attractions and over 1,000 monsters lurking in the fog

· For the first time in Scary Farm history, Fright Lane will also include Fast lane which will give guest priority access to all mazes and select rides

· Elvira, the legendary Mistress of the Dark, returns for her final appearance at Knott’s Scary Farm in an all-new spellbinding nightly show

· Returning darker and more twisted than ever step inside the Green Witch’s home by venturing through the blacked out building in Trick or Treat: Lights Out. Armed with only a faulty flashlight, face the terror of the Green Witch’s house completely in the dark. Featuring new state-of-the-art effects, unexpected scares and other eerie surprises, Trick-Or-Treat is back to terrorize like never before.

Knott’s Scary Farm will return from September 21 – October 31^st. Tickets are now on sale at: https://www.knotts.com/tickets-passes/scary-farm

Knott’s Berry Farm, 8039 Beach Blvd. Buena Park, CA 90620

San Diego Comic-Con 2017 Photo Gallery

2017/07/29

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Screenshots / Photos, SDCC

Here is our photo gallery from the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con – arguably the biggest comic book and pop culture convention in the world. Here are some of our images from in and around the San Diego Convention Center.

Photo Gallery

Mech_Con 2017 Tickets On Sale Now with MechWarrior 5 Bonus

2017/07/28

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Windows PC News

VANCOUVER – July 28^th, 2017 – Eager pilots from around the world are converging on Vancouver on December 9^th to play, compete or witness the MechWarrior Online World Championships at this year’s Mech_Con, and today Piranha Games revealed fans at Mech_Con will get the first crack at the upcoming and highly-anticipated MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries. The long-awaited and first standalone single player MechWarrior title will be playable for the first time in public at the event. The just-launched Mech_Con 2017 website is live as of today https://mechwarrior.com/mechcon and fans can grab tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/mech-con-2017-vancouver-bc-tickets-34484216219.

Mech_Con is a special one-day event dedicated to the celebration of BattleTech and MechWarrior and is hosted by Piranha Games. The event features fellow MechWarrior and BattleTech creators and developers Harebrained Schemes and Catalyst Game Labs, and attendees can participate in panels, Q&A’s, 1v1 MechWarrior Online matches, win prizes and giveaways throughout the day, and more. This year’s event will be held at the Pinnacle Harbourfront Hotel and Ballroom in Vancouver, and the just-launched Mech_Con website hosts the event’s schedule, travel and booking details and more.

Also home of the MechWarrior Online World Championships, fans attending Mech_Con in person and watching on Twitch from around the world have a chance to see which team will be crowned World Champions as they compete for the lion’s share of a cash prize pool. Last year’s inaugural tournament saw EmpyreaL, the North American MechWarrior Online team, lay waste to the competition and take home the title. More than 1,224 pilots from around the world entered the MechWarrior Online World Championship tournament, and the Regional Qualifying phase for 2017 is already underway.

This year, attending fans can also get the jump on the first impressions for the upcoming MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries and be among the first to hear announcements and reveals in store for the title. MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries will feature intense PvE ‘Mech combat in an immersive, career-based Mercenary campaign driven by player choice. Featuring an advancing timeline starting in the year 3015, players will adopt the role of a green MechWarrior mercenary thrust into combat as the Third Succession War continues to fracture the Inner Sphere, the vast region of colonized space surrounding Earth. Victory, prestige, and profit will not only require skill on the battlefield, but in the maintenance and enhancement of your BattleMechs.

Set for release in 2018, MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries is under development by a dedicated and separate development team at Piranha Games using Unreal Engine 4. MechWarrior Online, Piranha’s existing F2P multiplayer-focused tactical ‘Mech combat game (built with CryEngine) will continue its ongoing live development by the MWO team at Piranha.

For more information about MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries, and to keep up to date with Piranha Games and MechWarrior Online, make sure to visit the www.mwomercs.com, or follow Piranha Games on Twitter through @PiranhaGames and @MechWarriorF2P.

Official Shadow of War – Kumail Nanjiani as The Agonizer – Video

2017/07/28

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Xbox One News

July 28, 2017 – Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today released a new video for Middle-earth: Shadow of War featuring Kumail Nanjiani (The Big Sick, Silicon Valley), who portrays The Agonizer, a spirited yet deadly Orc enemy, who is just one of the numerous personalities players may encounter through the Nemesis System in the upcoming open-world action video game.

First revealed at Comic-Con International: San Diego, the video provides a first look at Nanjiani’s Orc character delivering a variety of humorous one-liners that players may come across throughout their game experience. Viewers are also treated to a behind-the-scenes glimpse of Nanjiani’s voice recording session, where he provides additional insight on his preparation for the role.

Set between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, Middle-earth: Shadow of War is an open-world action RPG that continues the original narrative of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. Players will be engrossed in a richer, more personal and expansive world full of epic heroes and villains, iconic locations, original enemy types, more personalities and a new cast of characters with untold stories, all brought to life by the award-winning Nemesis System.

Middle-earth: Shadow of War will be available for Xbox One X, Xbox One, Windows 10 PC (Windows Store and Steam), PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 4 Pro beginning October 10, 2017.

Star Wars The Black Series Luke & Rey – SDCC 2017 Exclusive Review

2017/07/27

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, Misc Review, News, Reviews, SDCC

One of the coolest things about the San Diego Comic-Con is that exhibitors like Hasbro bring out some really neat exclusive toys for attendees to purchase. We got the chance to purchase a couple items while there, and wanted to bring you a quick rundown of them – starting with the Star Wars The Black Series Luke & Rey boxed set. This made a big splash at the convention as it is technically the first Star Wars The Last Jedi toy. Now, while Hasbro and Disney have announced that September 1, 2017 will see a huge release of Star Wars toys for the upcoming films, these exclusives were just for conventioneers to purchase and not available at retail yet.

Design / Sculpt

This character two-pack features Rey and Luke as they appear at the end of The Force Awakens and, if rumors are correct, right at the beginning of The Last Jedi. Both action figures feature detailed costumes and Luke even comes with a fabric cloak which, while being somewhat of a pain to tie around the character, is pretty nifty. One thing that I was hoping would be on the Luke figure was a lightsaber hook or holster. His belt has a non-functional pouch but nothing else of note. The Rey figure is a little more dynamic, featuring a holster for the pistol that the late smuggler Han Solo gave to her in The Force Awakens. Both character faces don’t look all that much like the actors who play them in the films, but the general idea of who they are is apparent. Rey’s hands are very detailed down to individual fingers, so be careful when making her grip the included accessories to not accidentally bend or tear them off. Each character features a large number of articulation points, so posing them into whatever scene you wish should not be too difficult.

Accessories

This is where the Luke Skywalker figure comes up a little short (and not just in the Stormtrooper sense of the adjective). Luke doesn’t come with any accessories other than his cloak. No weapon, nothing. Now, I would imagine that part of this is due to secrecy – if Luke wields a Jedi weapon (or any other implement) in the new film, it is a big movie moment and one they would not want spoiled in action figure form. Rey, on the other hand, comes with numerous accessories. She has her staff, Anakin’s/Luke’s/Rey’s lightsaber, and her pistol.

Rey’s staff comes with a loop that you can utilize to have the figure wear it around her torso, and the pistol is a very decent representation of the one in the movie – especially on such a small scale. Her lightsaber his also well-detailed, I just wish the blade was removable so that it was a bit more flexible in terms of designing a scene for the figures. Of course, this is great news for the kiddies out there as it is one less thing they can accidentally swallow or lose, so I definitely understand.

Overall

Hasbro’s Star Wars The Black Series Luke & Rey boxed set is a very cool collector’s piece for the upcoming Star Wars The Last Jedi. Both characters are present and come with some nice accessories. They are not perfect likenesses of the actors, but close enough for action figures in The Black Series lineup. They are currently available for various prices on places like eBay, but stay-tuned as the rumor mill is stating there will be new versions of these figures released on Star Wars toy day in September.

Ash vs Evil Dead Maze Announced for Halloween Horror Nights

2017/07/27

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, Halloween, News, Trailers / Videos

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., ORLANDO, Fla. (July 27, 2017) – For the first time ever, the critically-acclaimed television series “Ash vs Evil Dead” from Starz, a Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B) company, will summon Deadites to a new haunted maze at Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort, beginning September 15.

The “Ash vs Evil Dead” maze will transport guests into the town of Elk Grove, Mich., where they will encounter Deadites – people or objects possessed by evil demons – that have been unwittingly unleashed by Ash Williams – again. Throughout the maze, guests will come face-to-face with disturbing characters and iconic comedic and gory scenes from seasons 1 and 2 as they desperately try to escape all things evil…before it’s too late.

The STARZ Original Series “Ash vs Evil Dead” is a follow-up to the original The Evil Dead movie, which has long been regarded as a cult classic since its debut in 1981. Starring Bruce Campbell, who reprises his role as “Ash Williams,” the series has amassed a huge fan base and was renewed for a third season by STARZ. Catch up on the STARZ APP.

Universal Studios’ “Halloween Horror Nights” is the ultimate Halloween event. For more than 20 years, guests from around the world have visited Halloween Horror Nights in Hollywood and Orlando to become victims of their own horror film. The streets of each coast’s event are transformed into highly-themed scare zones where menacing “scare-actors” lunge from every darkened corner. Multiple movie-quality haunted houses are erected throughout the event, based on everything from iconic slasher films to hit horror television series to haunting original stories.

Additional details about Universal Studios’ “Halloween Horror Nights” will be revealed soon. For more information about Halloween Horror Nights at either Universal Studios Hollywood or Universal Orlando Resort, visit www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com.

ScareLA 2017 Interview with Creator Lora Ivanova

2017/07/27

Jerry Paxton

Articles, Geek News, Halloween, Interviews, News

We got the chance to ask Lora Ivanova, creator of the ScareLA Halloween/Horror convention, some questions about the upcoming event. ScareLA takes place on August 1 and 2, 2017 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Q) This will be the 5th annual ScareLA convention. How has this journey been for you? Describe how you got to this point.

A) From its inception, my vision was to create a first-of-its kind convention that would not only bring Halloween to the masses, but to provide fans with an opportunity to converge and share their passion while dressing up and being themselves. This has been an incredible journey that has taught us a lot and every year we aim to provide attendees with more immersive and interactive experiences. Being the first-of-its kind convention, the ScareLA team is proud of see summer Halloween catch on fire and inspire our city’s scare fans to gather and create.

ScareLA Creator Lora Ivanova

Q) With ScareLA moving to the Los Angeles Convention Center, tell us what that means for attendees. Why was this a good move for the event?

A) ScareLA has exceeded our wildest expectations and has been growing so much every year that moving to a larger venue was part of its evolution. The LA Convention Center will allow us to expand the show’s foot print and will take the immersive aspect to the next level. We started in Downtown LA and ScareLA was always intended to exist in LA’s epicenter. We are thrilled to move back into the heart of the city, which is easy to get to from any point.

Q) What kind of things can we expect to see this year at the convention?

A) We’ve tailored this year’s show around our theme, ‘Monster’s Come Together’ with efforts focusing on creating experiences that will be enjoyed by monster of all ages while promoting tolerance and unity. We’ve created an entire city, Scarywood (measuring a record 60,000 sq.ft.) that will include a new and groundbreaking VR experience, ‘Flatline’, where participants can experience having a near death experience; an exclusive AR experience, ‘The Summoning’, where participants will explore the crime scene of occultist, Raphael Davidson; and, ‘ZTag Zombie Infection Arena’, which is a game where a group of four will decide how to protect a ‘safe zone’ in Los Angeles from zombies. These are just a few of the many that will be featured.

Monsters will also be able to enjoy experiences from upcoming Warner Bros. Film’s “IT” and Annabelle”, which will include a cinematic VR experience and spooky photo opportunity respectively. Dystopia Rising SoCal will be back with an amazing LARP experience and Rizo’s Scare House will bring its biggest haunt, a 3,600 sq.ft. of darkness on the outskirts of Scarywood. The creative team behind Universal Studio’s Halloween Horror Nights will also be back to give us a spooky preview of this year’s haunts.

On the educational front, we will offer monsters everything from makeup, set building, costuming and animatronics. Demos and seminars will including non-latex skeleton corpsing with Bill Ramsey; Zombie silicon prosthetics with “Skin Wars” favorite Kyle Vest; Jon Mario demonstrating out-of-kit effects such as cuts, burns, bruises and blood; and Warren Kong of Lightswitch will be presenting a free, 40-minute seminar called ‘Beyond the Strobe Light: A Marriage of Lighting and Scenic’ which will cover the use of colored light, UV paint and effects with lighting, monochromatics, and shadow play, as well as special games and workshops about Wonder Woman and Batman. These are only a few of the many monsters will be able to participate in.

For more in-depth information, monsters can visit: ScareLA.com

Q) Being that the LA Convention Center is so close to LA Live, is there any chance we will see LA Live restaurants offering discounts to attendees with ticket? Any deals in the works, perhaps?

A) In order to cultivate the atmosphere, we’ve focused our efforts into bringing back our themed food trucks, which have been very popular with attendees in the past. There will be a variety of fun and scary foods that will keep monsters up and running all day. For the first time, we will have a bar in the dark space that will also offer guests a wide variety of themed drinks to choose from.

Q) Horror and Halloween are huge industries, and there are very few events out there that cater specifically to this crowd. What do you think it is that draws people into horror and Halloween?

A) Halloween lends an opportunity to people to be themselves and express themselves freely. From the get go, part of our vision was to expand this opportunity by promoting tolerance and celebrating the wildest differences at the community level. Halloween is a holiday for the entire family and ScareLA will always be welcoming for fans of all ages.

Q) There are a huge number of haunted attractions (ranging in scale from home haunt to theme park haunt) to experience during the Halloween season. What are some of your favorites?

A) There are many that I enjoy and for several reasons. For instance, Reign of Terror Haunted House in Thousand Oaks who beats many of the professional attractions in both quality and design; Big Worm’s Sherwood Scare who donates their proceeds to charity; Wicked Lit who creates modern stage adaptations of classic horror literature; and Creep LA for being one the most surrealistic experiences.

Q) What is Lora Ivanova’s ideal Halloween like?

A) No Halloween is the same for me and I always like to experience different haunts. I make my own costumes and try to find something that inspires me. I haven’t decided yet what I’ll dress up as this year, but you can be sure it will be something original and interesting.

Q) And, finally, is there anything else you’d like our readers to know about ScareLA?

A) I’ve been inspired by the love of the community towards our event and I’d like to thank all of our volunteers and partners who shared their passion and helped the process unfold. Every little piece makes a difference and we are thankful for everything that we have accomplished and proud of tapping into an authentic energy that has helped us along the way.

We’d like to thank ScareLA, Lora Ivanova, and Supersonix Media for helping make this interview possible. Please check out the official ScareLA website for ticket purchasing information, schedule of events, and more!

SPARC Gets Release Date

2017/07/27

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos

26 July 2017 – Atlanta, GA – CCP Games is thrilled to announce that Sparc™ – the energetic, competitive virtual reality game – will launch on PlayStation®VR on Tuesday 29 August. On release, PS VR owners will be able to download Sparc for $29.99/ €29.99 SRP from the PlayStation®Store.

Sparc is a virtual sport, or “vSport” – a unique full-body experience only possible in virtual reality, where the player’s VR equipment is their sports gear. In Sparc , players connect online to compete in fast-paced and physical one-on-one gameplay. Players use their two PlayStation®Move motion controllers to throw projectiles across the court at their opponent, while dodging, blocking or deflecting any incoming shots.

Sparc combines skill-based and instinctual two-player gameplay with slick visuals to provide the PS VR community with a cutting-edge sporting challenge that looks and feels spectacular on PS4 and PS4 Pro.

Sparc includes rookie-level and pro-level difficulty game modes to suit both novice and advanced competitors. In addition, Sparc features “Courtside,” a freeform social area that allows for spectating in VR, where players can meet opponents, watch games in-person and queue up for their next match.

In Sparc‘s solo challenges, players can take part in a series of timed events that test throwing and deflection accuracy, helping improve their skills and preparing them for human opponents.

Sparc also offers players a wide range of avatar customization options. Everything from the cut of their compression suit to the headgear they wear, the look of their “Gloves” and the colors of their gear can be personalized to achieve exceptionally eye-catching styles.

CCP is excited to see how PS VR players develop and refine their skills once they get their hands on – and head in – their upcoming vSport.

More details about Sparc can be found at www.playSparc.com and fans can follow Sparcon Facebook and Twitter.

It Comes at Night Gets Blu-ray and DVD Release Date

2017/07/26

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, Halloween, Movie News, News

SANTA MONICA, CA (July 26, 2017) – Fear knows no limits when the suspenseful horror-thriller It Comes at Night creeps its way onto Blu-ray™ (plus Digital HD) and DVD September 12 from Lionsgate. From acclaimed writer/director Trey Edward Shults (Krisha), It Comes at Night tells the story of a man who will do anything to protect his family, no matter who or what the threat might be. Theatrically released by A24 and starring Joel Edgerton (Loving), Chris Abbot (A Most Violent Year), Carmen Ejogo (Alien: Covenant), and Riley Keough (American Honey), the Rotten Tomatoes Certified Fresh It Comes at Night is an “all-consuming and deeply disturbing chiller” (Collider) that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Heart-pounding suspense and razor-sharp tension highlight this highly-acclaimed thriller. 17-year-old Travis, secure within a desolate home with his protective and heavily armed parents (Joel Edgerton and Carmen Ejogo), watches his world abruptly change with the arrival of a desperate couple (Christopher Abbott and Riley Keough) and their young child. Panic and mistrust grow as the dangers of the outside world creep ever closer… but they may be nothing compared to the dangers within.

The Blu-ray and DVD releases feature an all-new featurette called “Human Nature: Creating It Comes at Night.” The It Comes at Night Blu-ray and DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $24.99 and $19.98, respectively.

BLU-RAY/DVD SPECIAL FEATURES

“Human Nature: Creating It Comes at Night” Featurette