Category: TV
Name: Kolchak the Night Stalker
Rating: 3 stars
Synopsis: Investigative reporter Carl Kolchak delves into paranormal happenings for his Chicago based news service.
Review: The only shortcoming this show has is that it was done in the 70s. If it had been done using the special effects available for the X Files or Buffy it would earn 5 stars easily. The stories are creative and interesting but still based (usually) in real folklore and myth or in a few cases standard sci fi themes. The mystery element of the show is well done. Even in the few cases where the viewer knows who is committing the murders (or other crimes) quickly they are still left guessing as to what is going to happen in the end. The main character, Carl Kolchak, is great. Even though he is a pushy jerk you end up liking him anyway. The news agency he works for and the authorities want nothing to do with his findings of supernatural wrongdoing however so his reports are usually suppressed. The dynamic between Kolchak and his boss Tony Vincenzo who just wants to run a normal news service is superb as is Kolchak’s interaction with a new police captain almost every episode. All in all, if you can get past the antiquated and low budget special effects (and you classic Dr. Who fans know what I’m talking about) this is a good series.
Category: Games
Name: Magic: the Gathering
Rating: 3 stars
Synopsis: Magic the Gathering is a collectible, tradable card game in which each player is a wizard vying for control of all the land using a variety of spells drawn from the deck the player constructed. There are 5 colors of magic that each has its own theme. For example, red magic involves fire and earth, green involves nature and growing things, etc. Preconstructed decks can be purchased and played straight out of the box or players can construct decks from scratch with packs containing random cards. If you want more detail I suggest you go to Wikipedia.
Review: Magic the Gathering is a fun game. However, it is a very complicated game and can get more so the more you play. Unless you just play a preconstructed deck right out of the box all the time and can resist the urge to tweak it, the game can easily consume your every waking hour as well as your paychecks. Constantly seeking new permutations for your deck, setting up the perfect sideboard, adjusting it every 6 months to account for new released sets and the fact that the old ones can’t be used in tournament play. . .the list goes on and on for how you can spend your time on Magic. It is a very efficient way to separate a geek and their money. I started playing Magic when Antiquities came out and have been playing off and on since then. In order to keep bringing out new stuff and making money, Wizards of the Coast has to constantly create new special abilities and powers for the cards. It just got too tough to keep track of all the special abilities and what they do as well as all of the DCI rulings on errata and such. I can’t seem to find people locally that like to play larger multiplayer formats for 3 or more players; everyone wants to play tournament 1 on 1 rules. I think they are missing out on some wondrous opportunities. There are also plenty of people that take this game WAY too seriously which can take all the fun out of it for the beginner. When the most common (standard) tournament rules banned all the cards I had spent hundreds of dollars on expecting to be able to use them for years to come I became very disenchanted with the game. Now I can only use them if I can find a Vintage or Legacy tournament group and I don’t want to mess with tournaments anyway.