I never really go into a sequel expecting much. Especially if the first movie is pretty awesome.

With Stir of Echoes 2: The Homecoming, that was a very, very good idea.

As I said the other day, I really love the original. It makes the most of what it has to work with and does so fantastically.

The second one? Not so much.

There was one little surprise, but it kind of made the film even worse. One of the secondary character–who gets nowhere near enough screen time or development as she should have for the part she ends up playing in the overall plot–is Tatiana Maslany. If you don’t recognize the name, you’re not watching Orphan Black (and you should be). On that show she plays multiple character. Characters who often interact with one another. And she is utterly amazing. In Stir of Echoes 2, she’s completely wasted.

Oh, and the tie-in to the original film? Showing us the young son from the original who’s not considerably older than he should be unless this movie is really set in the future? And having him be mutilated and bitter? That kind of goes against more than a couple of things put forward in the first film. And it does so for no real reason.

I won’t drone on here about the various missteps that film makes, you’re going to have to watch today’s vlog to get all of that.

Don’t forget that you have some say over what goes on for the next 100 days… click the big green button below here to get to the page where you can submit topic suggestions and questions (so I know what kinds of things you want to see go on in these videos).

[jbutton size=”xxlarge” color=”green” link=”http://durosia.com/vlog-questions” newpage=”yes”]Come Ask a Question Here[/jbutton]

When it came out back in 1999, Stir of Echoes was high on my list of horror films to see.

First, it had Kevin Bacon in it. He’s always awesome.

Second, it was based on a story by Ricahrd Matheson. He’s also always awesome.

Mostly, though, it was because it looked interesting and stylish. Which is most certainly is.

It’s horror grounded in reality. It’s also one of the best presentations of psychic powers and how a regular person would deal with them that I’ve seen. The disbelief, fear, panic, resignation, and then acceptance of the task his character has been put is played perfectly by Bacon.

What I didn’t realize until just rewatching it the other night is that it’s got Jennifer Morrison (from House and, more recently, Once Upon a Time) in it as the victim and Liza Weil (currently on How to Get Away With Murder, but formerly on Gilmore Girls… a connection I hadn’t realized, but which explains why I kept thinking she looked familiar on her current show) as a babysitter directly connected to the tragedy.

Solid performances all around and more style than you can shake a stick at. Definitely my kind of movie.

Listen to me go on a bit about it in today’s vlog.

Don’t forget that you have some say over what goes on for the next 100 days… click the big green button below here to get to the page where you can submit topic suggestions and questions (so I know what kinds of things you want to see go on in these videos).

[jbutton size=”xxlarge” color=”green” link=”http://durosia.com/vlog-questions” newpage=”yes”]Come Ask a Question Here[/jbutton]

Over the last couple of years, I’ve backed a lot of games on Kickstarter. Now they’re starting to roll in.

The expansion to Myth was the second game I backed from Megacon Games. While that expansion is still in the production phase, I did get another hunk of my perk from that campaign: the original game, with the updated material (fixing a bunch of play issues and introducing some of the add-on material mechanics). That showed up the other day.

It’s kind of a big box. Getting it home on the bus was… awkward.

Again, this is a game I’ve never played (though it is sitting up high on a shelf at the monthly game night I go to), but I really like what I’ve seen, especially with the “part 2” of the game (and, uh, so many expansions) on the way.

Today’s vlog, of course, is all about opening up the Myth box.

Don’t forget that you have some say over what goes on for the next 100 days… click the big green button below here to get to the page where you can submit topic suggestions and questions (so I know what kinds of things you want to see go on in these videos).

[jbutton size=”xxlarge” color=”green” link=”http://durosia.com/vlog-questions” newpage=”yes”]Come Ask a Question Here[/jbutton]

Another month, another box of comics from ComicBento.

November’s theme was “button smash” so everything is a video game tie-in of some sort.

Right on the top of the pile was Penny Arcade’s Attack of the Bacon Robots from Dark Horse.

Then there was the Archie Comics’ Sonic The Hedgehog and MegaMan: Worlds Collide, which looks like it’s geared more for the younger crowd, but I’m willing to give it a chance.

Another Dark Horse collection, Tomb Raider: Season of the Witch, which looks pretty solid.

My personal favorite, though, is the little collection of the classic three-issue limited series from Marvel in the early 80s: Contest of Champions (I remember when this was brand new, it was right before I started buying everything Marvel put out).

Of course, I still haven’t finished reading last month’s comics… or the ones from September… I guess it’s a good thing I don’t have the same comic book habit I used to back in the day. I’d never catch up.

Looks like next month’s theme is “Throwback”… which should be plenty awesome, since it’ll likely feature even more stuff I remember.

You can watch me dig into this box in today’s vlog.

Don’t forget that you have some say over what goes on for the next 100 days… click the big green button below here to get to the page where you can submit topic suggestions and questions (so I know what kinds of things you want to see go on in these videos).

[jbutton size=”xxlarge” color=”green” link=”http://durosia.com/vlog-questions” newpage=”yes”]Come Ask a Question Here[/jbutton]