I'll Always Have a Love for Pinball Machines

Pinball machines have had a long and storied history. From originally being banned as gambling devices, to the hottest thing in arcades, to fading somewhat from popularity due to the rise of video-games and then having a bit of a retro revival. Pinball has managed to hang on with some new (quite fancy) machines still being made at points. That said, many of the new machines are sold directly to homes now as opposed to bars/arcades (although establishments with vintage games exist and attract GenX folks and Millenials such as myself).

Now, I don't have 7 grand to drop on a new, "Dungeons and Dragons," pinball machine, but I can always appreciate the craft of the devices whether they're decades old and full of gears or the newer 
LCD-featuring games. I have fond memories of playing pinball at the bowling alley as a youth, the skating rink, and basically anywhere there had a machine and I could convince my folks to give me some quarters. Now, I was never that good at pinball, and besides a rare occasion where I inexplicably got a multi-ball or something else cool aside, I didn't manage to make the most of my 3 balls before I was begging for some more change. Lack of ability to actually play pinball aside, I love the concept of the game itself and the machines that house so many ways to play a seemingly simple concept. I'd encourage anyone who can play some pinball next time they see a machine anywhere to do so. Just be careful when you're playing that you don't bump the machine too hard and cause a, "Tilt." That always stinks.

Dirty 20 Bar is a Great Place to Hang-Out

The Dirty 20 Bar just opened in Manchester, Missouri.  The idea behind the business is that there are sports bars in Saint Louis, but not a bar for playing board games, Dungeons and Dragons, and the like. Hence, it's a restaurant and bar with ample space for fun activities. It opens midday for lunch and is relatively quiet then before getting busy for the evening and late-night crowd. I went during the less-populated time and got permission to snap some pictures. I was with a friend of mine and enjoyed food. I didn't have any drinks but was impressed with the big variety on offer too.

Dirty 20's menu focuses a lot on Mac and Cheese. There are all kinds of cool variations and you can build your own. I had the pretzel bites as well as an order of the flaming hot bites and loved them. There were three but I forgot to snap a picture until l had already eaten one:

My friend loved his spicy Mac and Cheese as well. We both thought the decor was fun--especially with the walls nd tables featuring the artwork of everything from, "Magic: The Gathering," to maps and character info from D&D. The employees were all incredibly nice as well, creating a friendly vibe where you were welcome to hang-out and play all the provided games (or bring your own)!

Between the good grub, ample space for people to play tabletop/card games, and chill atmosphere I was impressed with Dirty 20 and hope they have lots of success in these opening months and into the future!

Film Friday: The New, "Dungeons and Dragons," Movie is Great!

"Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves," is a superbly entertaining movie thanks in part to the fact it does not require the viewer to have any understanding of D&D. I know that because I have very, very little knowledge of it. I've never played D&D but have played fantasy video-games that draw from the mythology somewhat. This movie uses D&D to help create its World and there are little easter eggs for those who know everything about D&D, but it is a damn entertaining movie set in a fantastic realm that would work even if it didn't have the thematic trappings of D&D. I watched it with a friend of mine yesterday after he recommended the flick. I was quite entertained.

A lot of the credit for this movie being so entertaining goes to the cleverly-crafted script and some superb talent who absorb themselves into spectacular roles. Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, and a delightfully slimy Hugh Grant are just some of the folks who appear (not to mention one surprise cameo that had me doing a double-take). The movie is basically a heist that morphs into heroically saving the day, but the plot isn't as huge an element as some amazingly choreographed fights and one jaw-dropping scene of a Druid breaking out of a castle through multiple transformations the special effects wonderfully portray. As Alyssa Mercante of Koatku puts it in the title of her review, this movie is, "...Better Than It Has Any Right To Be." It's a really good time and you ought to check it out.

4.5 Out of 5 Stars.

"Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons and Dragons" #1 is Suitably Entertaining

I'm a fan of the television show, "Rick and Morty," finding it quite humorous and clever. I get disgusted with the elements of the fan-base that idolize Rick and miss the point that he isn't someone to aspire to be, but a figure to scorn and sometimes pity. That said, I and other folk who like the show but aren't hateful morons always enjoy a good adventure featuring these two zany protagonists. There is a new comic featuring an official (AKA approved) cross-over of Rick and Morty with the Universe/game of, "Dungeons and Dragons," titled reasonably enough, "Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons and Dragons." It is suitably entertaining if not amazing. The basic idea is that Rick teaches Morty how to play, and due to these characters always making things extra-complicated and causing trouble things go off the rails quickly.

I was worried the fact this was a crossover that had to get commercial approval from Wizards of the Coast (they own the rights to D&D) it would as a result dilute the content/jokes, but thankfully that wasn't the case. There are plenty of jokes both affectionate towards and critical of, "Dungeons and Dragons," (Morty's declaration that the first edition, "Sucks," isn't argued with) and even if you aren't super well-versed in the game such as my mostly-ignorant self you'll still get the punch-lines. One thing I enjoyed was how excited Rick got at hearing Morty wanted to play the game (although Morty just wants to learn to possibly hook-up with a girl who runs a group). It just seemed weirdly fitting that Rick would be a big fan of, "Dungeons and Dragons," and love all the details and such that can go into playing it.

One issue I have with reading comic-book adventures of Rick and Morty is that I can't hear the characters talking. I can imagine it in my head, but there is something magical about the weird cadences in Rick and Morty's voices when they speak, alternatively stuttering, burping, yelling, etc. For that reason I only read the first two issues of the main comic when it started coming-out some years ago--and as an aside I sold that #1 issue for what I thought was a stellar price of $30, reasoning the show wouldn't get any bigger than it already was at the time. It of course became a cultural phenomenon and now that comic is worth a lot more cash. I still kick myself about that, but I digress. Even without being able to have Justin Roiland in the room doing the voices I've gotten a bit better at imagining the dialogue, so that's good, and the jokes come fast and furious even if they sometimes fall flat.

The first issue of "Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons and Dragons," has some decent humor, but didn't make me absolutely crack-up. It's a solid joint-venture between Oni Press (who publish, "Rick and Morty," comics) and IDW (who publish, "Dungeons and Dragons," comics) however and sets the groundwork for what I imagine will be other fun issues--I can't wait to hopefully witness Jerry attempting to play and failing miserably at the game, as he is wont to do. Overall I would rate this a good...3 out of 5 stars.