Mutants of the Musical Wasteland

Great commercial from the 80s for GE. I really think the height of post-apocalyptic cheese was the decade of excess. So much to love.

Via Boing Boing

TRAILER: "Pacific Rim" - Giant Robots vs. Kaiju!!!

So who else wants to be 9 years old again?

First trailer: OBLIVION starring Tom Cruise

So here's a Tom Cruise film I'd only heard a few whispers about until now. I'd nearly written it off it had been so long since I'd seen anything, Now that I see the trailer, I think it looks interesting in that it's got a sparse cast, but has a pretty tight concept. I'll be keeping an eye out for future trailers and plot leaks. Here's the synopsis so far, via io9:

Tom Cruise stars in Oblivion, an original and groundbreaking cinematic event from the director of TRON: Legacy and the producer of Rise of the Planet of the Apes. On a spectacular future Earth that has evolved beyond recognition, one man's confrontation with the past will lead him on a journey of redemption and discovery as he battles to save mankind.

Jack Harper (Cruise) is one of the last few drone repairmen stationed on Earth. Part of a massive operation to extract vital resources after decades of war with a terrifying threat known as the Scavs, Jack's mission is nearly complete.

Living in and patrolling the breathtaking skies from thousands of feet above, his soaring existence is brought crashing down when he rescues a beautiful stranger from a downed spacecraft. Her arrival triggers a chain of events that forces him to question everything he knows and puts the fate of humanity in his hands.

Here's the poster:

So far I'm digging it and if my guess is right, it could make for some inspired campaign setting. By the looks of it a subterranean Morgan Freeman is leading a band of merry rebels against the drones meant to keep the escaped humans safe.That sounds like a good lead-in for an adventure, yes?

Also posted over at Exonauts.

Video: Action Cats are Awesome!

Anyone remember this commercial parody from Saturday Night Live, back in the day? I saw this as a kid and totally wanted it for our orange tabby at the time. It's like the Dinoriders toys, but AWESOMER, because they fit onto a REAL CAT.

 Also kinda reminds me of Gammarauders these days too (which I picked up a while back, and I'll need to do a full review of soon).

Still wish they actually made these. Forget Laser Cats and give me Skelo-kitty!

WAR MACHINE: The Technodrome!

What do you get when you put treads on a Death Star? 
In the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle universe, nothing matched the sheer menace or mechanical brutality as the Krang and Shredder's mobile HQ--THE TECHNODROME!

It was a massive, burrowing war machine, bristling with weapons and advanced technology. So OBVIOUSLY, It would make for a great set piece in any RPG.

As is, that is--a giant, earth digging, castle/tank for a mutant warlord looking for revenge against subterranean Valids.

Here's a scanner readout of some of the known features of this massive warmongering battlestation, courtesy of the TMNT wiki:

Equipment and Armament:

• A trans-dimensional portal
• Eyeball missile launchers
• 4 trident-shaped laser cannons
• A mounted surveillance eye on the top
• A mouser factory
• Training facilities for Shredder's henchmen, Bebop and Rocksteady
• Three-foot-thick titanium armor
• Huge tank treads
• Robot walker legs that can be used instead of tank treads (scene at the end of Season 3)
• Large holding cells
• Earthquake machine (used during Season 2)
• Various drilling mechanisms

Design Features

Classical Japanese Dojo Rooms

Balance control (during near the end of Season 3)

Anti-gravitation generators making the technodrome able to hover slightly above the ground (used during season 2 )

Disintegrator Unit (season 2)

Relay Room

Engine Room

Laundry room

For more, checkout...

• Technodrome image gallery on gammaworldwar.tumblr.com
• Great background info and episodes for inspiration at the TMNT wiki
• News of TMNT LEGO sets for 2013 bodes well for DIY Technodrome!