Author: menno

Violent movies have always been the subject of controversy. Whether it’s being used for gratuitous, over-the-top shock value or uncompromising, disturbing realism, scenes of movie violence have been accused of causing (or at least contributing to) countless social issues and crimes over the years. Few things in movies can be as visceral and disturbing as a well-done violent scene (even if it’s merely implied), but violence can also be schlocky and entertaining. Some of the movies on this list are so controversial and shocking that they were banned in many countries when they were originally released, and all of them…

Most video game companions don’t get the credit that they deserve. Sure, there are plenty of team-based titles or games which feature a whole ensemble of supporting characters, but when the action gets heavy it’s always up to the main protagonist to sort things out. Of course this makes a certain amount of sense as no player wants to play a game where the computer AI does all the hard work for them, so this inevitably means that some of the most interesting and well-rounded characters have to spend more than their fair share of time watching from the side…

10. Rat Puke photo: Jan van der Crabben / Wikicommons It has long been known that rats will die if they eat poison as they are unable to be sick and rid their bodies of the toxins in this way. Studies have found that rats cannot vomit for the following reasons: firstly, the act of throwing up needs the two muscles diaphragm to work independently of each other, secondly, a rat’s brain is not complex enough to instruct the viscera to temporarily reverse itself (next time you are hung-over and being ill tell yourself that all that suffering is because…

Kids do the creepiest things. There’s no denying that horror movies have always used children to terrifying results as there’s something intrinsically terrifying about a supposedly innocent child doing something they shouldn’t be doing or being able to see something they shouldn’t be able to see. Whether they’re a vampire, ghost, the antichrist or a seemingly normal kid with a dark secret, some horror movie kids can really get under your skin. 10. Young Sean – Birth (2004) Underrated horror thriller Birth may move at a slower pace than other entries on this list, but that doesn’t mean it struggles…

What is it about hitmen and assassins that make them so undeniably cool in movies? It’s not a profession that most people in their right mind would even endorse, but filmmakers love making these characters so effortlessly fascinating and enduring. Although the ‘classic’ image of the hitman is a suave suit-wearing, rifle-toting man of action who is dedicated to finishing the job, there have been many cinematic iterations of the character over the years. From modern day samurai to former spies, hitmen and assassins come in many different forms and disguises. 10. Jason Bourne – The Bourne Series (2002 -…

10. Mount Unzen: Japan: 1792: 15,000 Mount Unzen lies in a highly volcanic area which has seen eruptions occurring for the last 2 million years or so. The area around the mountain has formed into no less than four domes over the lifespan, and saw its worst (from a death-toll point of view) eruption striking in 1792. The volcano was actually initiated by an earthquake which started on the western flank of the mountain, slowly moving towards the active dome, known as Fugen-Dake. The seismic activity caused the volcano to erupt and the lava flowed for some two months. The…

Rhythm games are arguably one of the strangest video game genres to explode in popularity in recent years. For many gamers, the idea of following along with a pattern or sequence doesn’t sound like the most appealing way to play a game and it’s easy to think that there’s no real difficulty in copying what’s on screen. However, while it may be easy to learn the basics of a rhythm game, they are always very, very hard to master. Rhythm games require split second reflexes and perfect timing and some offer the most challenging gaming experiences on any console or…

In the 80s and 90s, three actors dominated the action film genre — Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, and Sylvester Stallone. While Schwarzenegger dominated the screen with his sheer size and presence, Willis mostly played the relatable everyman. Stallone was different. His characters had heart and audiences couldn’t help but fall in love with them. It was this heart that made Stallone the star he is today. Stallone has made dozens of films over the years, some good, some bad. This top 10 will list Stallone’s top 10 movies. 10. Cobra – 1986 Cobra is the quintessential 80’s action movie. Its…

10. Ostrich – Biggest and Fastest Land Bird Despite its inability to fly, the ostrich is in little danger from predators. Not only can these large and ungainly looking birds run at an impressive 45mph, but they weigh up to 345 pounds which is more than enough speed to outrun many predators, with sufficient bodyweight to put up a good fight should they be caught! Ostriches have a very strong kick which can seriously injure or even kill anyone unwary enough to wander into its path! 9. Giant Squid – Largest Invertebrate Believed to be a myth for many year,…

10. You Have a New Stomach Lining Every 3 to 4 Days! Your stomach is something of a marvel of engineering, taking in the food you eat and breaking it down into its components parts (minerals, proteins and so forth) before sending all these nutrients off around the body to where they can do the most good. The stomach lining has many purposes, the most important of which are to help with the digestive process (by secreting the substances needed to break down the food) and to protect the rest of the body from the highly acidic environment inside the…

Sometimes movie monsters aren’t quite what they seem. Despite having gnashing teeth, a propensity for violence or even rotting flesh, some of the most horrific characters can be hiding a softer side. Whether they eventually see the error of their own ways or they are just simply misunderstood, many of these offer more than meets the eye. 10. Mr. Freeze – Batman & Robin (1997) Admittedly, Joel Schumacher’s infamously campy take on Batman doesn’t have a lot of positives going for it. Almost killing the franchise completely dead with his relentless tongue-in-cheek take on the superhero, Batman & Robin was…

The 90s was an undisputably great time to be a kid who loved cartoons. Networks like Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network and the Disney Channel really hit their stride with their creative output, and they produced some truly unique and special cartoons which are still looked back on with fondness and appreciation. A generation of children rushed home from school or got up early on Saturday mornings to sit in front of the TV to make sure that they caught up with some of these top cartoons from the decade. 10. Animaniacs (1993 – 1998) The aptly-titled Animaniacs was an anarchic, frenzied…

Robots have always played an integral part in science fiction. Even when filmmakers and screenwriters lacked any concept of the feasibility of computing and technology, they were ambitious enough to create machines which were as intelligent (sometimes more so) as their human masters. Even when these robots looked like nothing more than a trashcan with blinking lights, movies always made the most of the horrifying idea that these man-made machines could turn on their human creations. Whether they malfunction by accident or are programmed to be bad, evil robots on the big screen present a threatening and intimidating look at…

Dwayne Johnson is a Hollywood anomaly. Born into a family of wrestlers, Johnson had aspirations of becoming an American Football player. Unfortunately, after making it onto a pro team, he couldn’t cope with the pressure and was dropped after only 2 months on the team. It was then that he decided to make the jump to professional wrestling, just like his father and his father’s father before him. Johnson was a tour de force in the wrestling world. His persona, ‘The Rock’, became one of the most popular personas in the WWE Attitude era and one of the most popular…

Many maritime disasters happen outside the realms of war. All ships, including those of the military, are vulnerable to problems from weather conditions, faulty design or human error. Some of the disasters below occurred in periods of conflict, although their losses were unrelated to any military action. The following top ten is a listings in ascending order of the magnitude of casualties suffered. 10. HMS Victory: United Kingdom: 1744: 1,150 people lost HMS Victory was 100-gun ship in the Royal Navy built in 1726 (launched in 1737) to replace another ship, also called Victory, that had burned to the waterline…

Television has always pushed boundaries. Despite fairly strict guidelines and an obligation to satisfy advertisers and networks, showrunners and writers have always used the medium to approach serious subjects and themes which many viewers wouldn’t expect from their favourite shows. 10. Ghostwatch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO2oeiGdGlM BBC’s 1992 horror special Ghostwatch duped viewers into thinking they were watching a live paranormal investigation. In reality, the show had been recorded in advance and the events showing on screen – which included an outside broadcast exploring a haunted house and the presenters in the studio being possessed by a strange ghost called Mr Pipes –…

Horror movies have always been seen as the ‘stepping stones’ of the movie industry, and many stars have used the genre before moving onto bigger and better things. Sure, there are actors who are happy to spend their entire careers toiling away on the sets of B movies and slasher flicks, but there are also those A-listers who are slightly more embarrassed of their humble beginnings. 10. Patrick Dempsey – The Stuff (1985) These days he is better known as playing the ‘McDreamy’ Dr. Derek Shepherd in hit TV show Grey’s Anatomy, but Patrick Dempsey got his big break in…

Although Mixed Martial Arts is often seen as a relatively new sport, it has already produced some of the most impressive fights in the history of competitive combat. MMA organisations like the UFC, Strikeforce and Pride have seen their fair share of last minute victories, championship upsets, bloody battles and drawn-out brawls, and there is an insane amount of noteworthy MMA fights to choose from over the years. While some display the sheer technical ability of fighters, others are commendable for the raw energy and unbreakable spirit on show. 10. Don Frye vs Yoshihiro Takayama (Pride) Don Frye vs Yoshihiro…

Science fiction has always been one of the most enduring genres. For some, the mere mention of ‘sci-fi’ conjures up images of die-hard fanboys who are obsessed with the minutiae of their favourite shows. However, sci-fi has always been an accessible and popular genre, especially in television. Some of the most popular TV shows of all-time have dabbled with science fiction and they often broke new barriers in the way they used the medium to tell their stories. 10. Lost https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTu8iDynwNc Has there been a show which fiercely divided its fans as much as Lost did? Each week, the show…

Forget werewolves, zombies and vampires, the true king of horror is the evil clown. It’s rather ironic given that clowns are supposed to be the embodiment of childhood joy and innocent fun, but many people think that there is something evil behind those bright and colourful masks and costumes (incidentally, Coulrophobic is the term for someone who breaks a sweat at the mere sight of a clown). With their strange out of place appearance and erratic behaviour, it’s not hard to irrationally think that some clowns are harbouring sinister intentions. For years, horror movie directors and writers have gleefully taken…

Stephen King is one of the most talented and accomplished novelists the world has ever seen. Since the release of his debut novel ‘Carrie’ in 1974, he’s consistently released a stream of high quality novels, many of which are considered amongst the finest novels ever written. Hollywood has long had a love affair with King’s work. Over the years, many of his novels have been adapted to the big screen, some more successfully than others. This top 10 will rank the top 10 Stephen King movies. 10 – Christine – 1983 Filmmaker John Carpenter is one of the masters of…

Gamers don’t want their video games to give them an easy time. The challenge makes video games fun and it’s what makes it so rewarding when the final boss finally falls to his knees or when the end credits start scrolling across the screen. However, there are those games which cross the difficulty threshold into sadist territory. Whether they take deliberate pleasure from punishing players or they accidentally set the bar a little too high, here are the top 10 most difficult video game levels ever made. 10. Lion King – Elephant Graveyard Younger gamers have it easy these days.…

There’s a lot of fun to be had with movie drinking games. They’re the perfect way to enjoy a movie that you have already seen dozens of times before and, let’s face it, they can get you wasted pretty quickly. With the right movie and the right supply of booze, some of these drinking games will test the endurance of even the hardest of drinkers. So don’t worry if you can’t get to the end of the movie; as long as you’re drunk by the time the credits start rolling then you still rightfully deserve a prize (well, a hangover)…

10. Cicadas’ Long Infancy photo: Bruce Marlin / Wikicommons Most people in the world recognise cicadas if not by sight then by sound! Their distinctive noise, made by the small insects activating their tymbals (small areas covered with membranes that the cicada flexes and ‘works’ in order to create the sound, something like rippling sheet metal to create thundery noise) is widely used in film and television to indicate that it is night-time. However, their unusual noise notwithstanding, there is something truly mind-boggling about cicadas: they survive underground, in the nymph stage, for up to 17 years, before emerging for…

We all get bored. It doesn’t matter how busy your schedule is or how many different hobbies you have, there will always be moments when it feels like you have nothing to do or you realise that what you are doing just simply isn’t enough to keep you engaged. Whatever the reason is, boredom is just one of those unavoidable parts of life. Of course, most of us fill these moments with time-wasting activities. Whether it’s tapping away on a smartphone game or just staring at the wall, it’s easy to waste this time and it’s much harder to do…

Classic rock isn’t an easy genre to define. While some music fans loosely consider classic rock to be pretty much any rock band active and popular during the late 60s to the early 80s, others define it as a specific style of music. The period in question saw the rise and fall of genres like rock ‘n’ roll, glam rock, pop rock and heavy metal, so it’s not always accurate to just pick and choose artists from these very different decades of music. Also, many bands during this time completely changed their sound and style and drifted away from guitar-driven,…

Shinji Mikami was another nameless face in the crowd in the Japanese games development community prior to 1996. Born on August 11, 1965, Mikami, a videogame enthusiast, had managed to land a job with Capcom, one of the biggest videogame publishing houses in Japan, but he’d failed to make a name for himself. 1996’s ‘Resident Evil’ changed things for Mikami. Overnight, he became one of the hottest and most famous game designers in the world. Mikami has worked on dozens of games during his career, some better than others. This top 10 will cover the top 10 Shinji Mikami games.…

Leonardo DiCaprio is a Hollywood anomaly. Unlike most of his child actor contemporaries who failed to make the jump to adult acting, he has somehow managed to avoid being typecasted and has built himself an impressive filmography featuring some of the greatest films ever made. This top 10 list will look at Leonardo DiCaprio’s top 10 movies. 10. What’s Eating Gilbert Grape – 1993 ‘What’s Eating Gilbert Grape’ is the film that introduced DiCaprio to the world. The film, directed by Swedish director Lasse Hallström, told the story of the Grape family, a dysfunctional American family living in Iowa. Johnny…

Japan is the spiritual home of videogames. No other country on Earth is home to as many gamers and games companies as Japan is. While Japan’s games industry has fallen on difficult times in recent years, the importance and influence of the Japanese games industry cannot be ignored. From Nintendo to Sega to Capcom and more, the Japanese games industry has helped gaming grow into the flourishing entertainment medium it is today. While there are dozens of successful games companies headquartered in Japan, some have been more influential and more successful than others. This top 10 will list the top…

Hoaxes can be accidental, they can be malicious and spiteful, sometimes they are designed to poke fun at ridiculous fads and trends but every now and then they are, simply, very, very funny! 10. Greasing the Wheels In older times, before modern transport links were established, college football players usually travelled by train. In some cases, the home team would grease up the train tracks so that the train could not stop in the station, instead slithering past and only coming to a stop after the grease had rubbed off allowing the brakes to grip once again. This meant the…

Boss fights have always played an important part in video games. Typically used to signify the end of a level or the very end of the entire game, there’s nothing quite as satisfying as the feeling you get when you finally beat a difficult boss after hours of attempts. However, some boss fights aren’t as simple and straightforward as others. While most boss fights are typically frustrating and difficult, some games use the opportunity to offer its players a more creative and weird gaming experience. 10. Mom – The Binding of Isaac https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCrN1tTjBa4 The Binding of Isaac is a creepy…

There is a saying that a lie can run around the world before the truth can get its boots on and this saying is almost literally true thanks to the wide spread of the Internet. Social media can see rumours, myths and scams proliferate all over the world in a shockingly short time. Below find some of the die-hard Internet myths that never seem to fade! 10. Raw Onions on your Feet to Suck out Toxins This is a pernicious myth that circulates slowly but steadily, appearing on newsfeeds and tweets on a semi-regular basis! The myth says that if…

America is traditionally thought of as being a young country, missing the rich depth of history that China and Europe (for example) can boast, but this is not to say that the vast country is entirely lacking as regards ‘a past’. Indeed, the USA has developed so very quickly on the backs of people full of passion and a sense of certitude as to their actions, that there is no shortage of tales about almost every populated inch of the country – and there are probably some about the unpopulated areas too! It is unsurprising that most of these ‘most…

Movie merchandise is a huge market, and studio and marketing execs will use almost any product they can get their hands on to promote their latest blockbuster or family movie. However, this eagerness for cross-promotion isn’t always successful, and some movie tie-in merchandise is just downright bizarre. 10. Addam’s Family Cereal Breakfast cereals are a prime target for movie merchandise simply because they are one of the easiest ways to grab the attention of children (and their parents). By including a different toy in each box, crafty marketing folks can ensure that kids will keep coming back for more in…

What are the greatest American sitcoms of all time? Everybody will have their own opinion, but there are a few shows that will probably appear on most lists. People will disagree about whether modern shows are better than the old ones – most of the comedies on the list below (which was the result of an on-line vote) are fairly recent, but perhaps the people voting weren’t old enough to remember the golden age of TV, if, of course, it ever existed. However, nearly all these shows are still regularly shown on cable and satellite channels. Here, in reverse order,…

Before there were videogame consoles, there were arcade cabinets. These giant, hulking cabinets were made up of three main components: a television screen, a joystick, and a mini computer capable of drawing graphics and running games. Arcades were a worldwide phenomenon. They could be found everywhere, from dedicated arcades to restaurants, bars, shops, take aways, and more. Each arcade cabinet was specifically designed to run a single game and run it well. Over the years, some arcade games gained fame and notoriety for their quality, forever being remembered as some of the finest video games ever created. This top 10…

Walt Disney’s life and creative works have always been subject to scrutiny and intrigue. Although he was far from a secretive man, fans and critics alike are drawn to the idea that there was more than meets the eye to a man whose core ideals were dedicated to creating wonder and bringing childhood imagination to life. Since Disney’s first theme park opened in California in 1955, more than 650 million guests have come flooding through the gates to enjoy the place “where dreams come true”. There are now six Disney theme parks around the world which all run like clockwork…

Gamers are obsessed with finding hidden easter eggs in their favourite video games. The idea of developers slipping in some sort of hidden feature or code dates back to the early days of video games when programmers didn’t really get the credit they deserved for their work. In retaliation, many tried to slip in their names or images into the games they worked on. Nowadays, easter eggs are an expected feature in games. Modern games are filled with countless pop culture references and acknowledgements of other games (which are typically rival studios taking friendly digs at each other), but the…

Horror can be a very difficult genre to bring to TV. Typically, the longer a story goes on for then the harder it is to provide a worthy scare at the end. This can be problematic for long-running shows as shocking the same characters week in week out will eventually wear thin on audiences who are looking for some sort of resolution or pay-off which doesn’t just happen during the last 5 minutes of the episode. However, some TV shows do make it work. The anthology format is one of the most popular ways to approach the genre (a different…