Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Film Foxhole will be on hiatus until further notice

After much deliberation, I have decided to take a break from maintaining this blog in order to focus on more pertinent matters. As such, my weekly recommendations will be discontinued for the time being. I do not expect this hiatus to be permanent, or prolonged; I hope to resume updates sometime in Q1 of 2012, likely accompanied by various alterations. Until then, I wish you all Happy Holidays ahead.


-Steven H. Gibbs

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

11/01/11 Recommended New Releases

I do not have any recommendations among the titles making their way to home video today, but I would like to remind you that the 50% off sale on all Criterion Collection titles begins today at Barnes & Noble.

Though all is quiet on the film front, there are several stellar video games hitting shelves today:

[NOTE: Target is running a Buy 2 Get 1 Free special on select video game titles this week; according to their website, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception and GoldenEye 007: Reloaded are eligible for this deal, but it would appear that The Lords of the Rings: War in the North and Sonic Generations are not.]


Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (developed by Naughty Dog; published by Sony Computer Entertainment) - Nathan Drake returns for the latest installment of the beloved Playstation 3 franchise. In addition to the Standard Edition ($59.99), there is also a Collector's Edition ($99.99) as well as an Uncharted 3 Playstation 3 Console Bundle ($299.99). The Collector's Edition sports: a collectible Steelbook case that houses the game disc; wearable replicas of Nathan Drake's belt buckle and ring necklace; a Nathan Drake statue by Sideshow Collectibles; a traveling chest package to house all of the goods. Meanwhile, the Console Bundle includes a 320GB Playstation 3 console, the Standard Edition of Uncharted 3, and 1 controller. As for what deals retailers have this week:

Kmart - Shop Your Way Rewards Members (which is free to join) will receive a $20 Gaming Coupon* with purchase; you can also purchase Uncharted 3 with the new Sony Wireless Stereo Headset for $120 all-together (and you will still receive the aforementioned $20 Gaming Coupon, too). Those who purchase the Uncharted 3 Playstation 3 Console Bundle will receive a copy of Uncharted Dual Pack (includes the first and second installments) free.

Best Buy - Save $25 when you purchase Uncharted 3 and a Sony Wireless Stereo Headset ($99.99; the Kmart deal is better by $15, not to mention the $20 Gaming Coupon). Save $40 when you purchase the Uncharted 3 Playstation 3 Console Bundle and Uncharted Dual Pack (essentially, you receive the latter item for free, making it identical to the Kmart deal).
 

Collector's Edition (Click to Enlarge).







The Lords of the Rings: War in the North (developed by Snowblind Studios; published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment) - A role-playing game set in the northern regions of Middle-earth during the events of J.R.R. Tolkien's novels as presented in Peter Jackson's film trilogy. The Standard Edition is available for Playstation 3 ($59.99), Xbox 360 ($59.99) and PC ($49.99); a Collector's Edition ($139.99) is available for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. In addition to the game, the collector's edition includes: a Ranger of the North quiver case; a hardcover artbook; a disc containing an inside look at the music of the game, which was composed by Inon Zur; a War in the North theme pack (Playstation 3 only); the Ranger of the North avatar outfit (Xbox 360 only). Here are what retailers are offering:

Kmart - Shop Your Way Rewards Members (which is free to join) will receive a $20 Gaming Coupon* with purchase.

Best Buy - Receive a free Snow Troll Figurine with purchase; you can also save $20 if you purchase a copy of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy on Blu-ray with the game. Also, there is a coupon in the latest issue of @Gamer magazine for $15 off the game. If you do not subscribe to the magazine (which is $15 annually), you can pick up an issue for $5 or - and this may vary from store to store, but the one here in Wilmington NC does it - you may be able to receive a free copy of the current issue if you present your GameStop PowerUp Rewards card to a Customer Service Associate.

Collector's Edition (Click to Enlarge).







GoldenEye 007: Reloaded (developed by Eurocom; published by Activision) - a remastered edition of the recent Wii title (which itself was a re-imagining of the Nintendo 64 classic); it is available on the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 for $59.99. Given that the title features Move support in the Playstation 3 version, it would make sense that there is also a Playstation Move bundle for GoldenEye 007: Reloaded dubbed the "Double 'O' Edition." It retails for $149.99, and includes (in addition to the game): 1 Playstation Eye camera; 1 Playstation Move Motion controller; 1 Playstation Move Navigation controller; 1 Playstation Move Sharp Shooter; DLC voucher for multiplayer character Hugo Drax and Moonraker Laser Pistol weapon (this voucher comes with the Playstation 3 Standard Edition, too). The only deal appears to be at Kmart, where Shop Your Way Rewards Members (which is free to join) will receive a $15 Gaming Coupon* with purchase.



Double 'O' Edition (Click to Enlarge).






Sonic Generations (developed by Sonic Team; published by SEGA) - This latest installment in the largely decadent franchise seeks to breath much-needed life into the famous hedgehog. When a new villain known as the Time Eater sends Sonic and his pals spiraling through time, he must race through familiar territory in order to save his friends as well as time itself - but he is not alone, as he meets up with his old self, Classic Sonic, who is ready to lend a hand. It is available on the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 for $49.99. Here are what the retailers are offering:

Kmart - Shop Your Way Rewards Members (which is free to join) will receive a $15 Gaming Coupon* with purchase.

Best Buy - Sonic Generations will be on sale this Thursday only (November 3rd) for $39.99. Additionally, the latest issue of @Gamer magazine has a coupon for $10 off the title. Patient gamers can wait until Thursday to combine both offers and nab the game for $29.99 (though @Gamer coupons say they are not valid with sale prices, Best Buy changed their policy in June to allow it; the text on the coupons simply has not been changed to reflect it). If you do not subscribe to the magazine (which is $15 annually), you can pick up an issue for $5 or - and this may vary from store to store, but the one here in Wilmington NC does it - you may be able to receive a free copy of the current issue if you present your GameStop PowerUp Rewards card to a Customer Service Associate.







*K-Mart Gaming Coupons are issued with your receipt; those issued this week are valid from November 6th to December 17th. Also, as the name implies, they are only valid on gaming products.