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5 reasons Dublin’s Token arcade is going to kick ass

Marty
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5 reasons Dublin’s Token arcade is going to kick ass

One of Dublin’s most loved spots is The R.A.G.E on Fade Street. The R.A.G.E is home to all things retro and man is retro hot right now. Building on the tidal wave of popularity, the team behind The R.A.G.E are opening Token. Here’s what you’ll need to know about Dublin’s Token arcade and the 5 reasons we’re extremely excited about it.

What’s an arcade?

You might think we’re starting off with the basics here, but just to be on the safe side. Arcades were massively popular in the 1970s throughout America. Like, seriously popular. These buildings were full of standing games consoles you would feed with coins to play. All the classics were in there like Donkey Kong, Pacman and Space Invaders. Even today, you can watch documentaries on Netflix about guys trying to break longstanding high scores. Take a look at Man vs Snake to see what arcade games mean to people.

Where is Dublin’s Token arcade?

To be fair to the team being The R.A.G.E, they’ve picked a cracking spot. Dublin’s hottest new venue for everything will be just north of the Liffey in the heart of Smithfield.

Any I honestly mean the hottest venue for everything. Without further adieu, here are the 5 reasons I’m ridiculously excited about Token opening up.

The line-up of arcade games is amazing

Seriously, if it’s a classic arcade game, Token will have it. Dodge Donkey Kong’s barrels, hum the Tetris tune while neatly stacking shapes and get some shots off with Time-Crisis. That should give you a fair idea of the depth on show in Token, but here’s the longer list which is still to grow even more:

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Donkey Kong

Pac-Man

Space Invaders

Tekken Tag Tournament

Street Fighter 2

Mortal Kombat 2

Ghosts ‘n Goblins

Sunset Riders

NBA Hangtime (NBA Jam 2)

Superman

Mario Kart GP

Point Blank

Time Crisis 2

 Tetris

The Simpsons

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

X-Men 4 player

Marvel Vs. Capcom

Metal Slug

Metal Slug 2

Spiderman 4 player

WWF Royal Rumble

Final Fight

Double Dragon

Crazy Taxi

 

Token will also boast a rake of classic pinball machines with retro themes like Baywatch.

Yeah, you’re getting pretty excited too right? We’ll there’s more. There’s lots more.

Token will have not one, but two bars – one with a twist

Arcade games are for kids – said noone ever. The team behind Token know their market. While promising abstaining from alcohol won’t affect the craic, there’s going to be quite the selection. Token’s downstairs bar will host brewery takeovers – take a moment to enjoy that thought. Yup, different companies will pop in every forthnight allowing patrons to sample staple brews and experimental stuff.

Dublin's Token arcade will servce beerYou’ll also get facetime with the people behind the brews. Just writing this is already giving me an idea of the welcoming atmoshpere you can expect from the Token arcade and there’s even more to come.

Where there’s beer there’s food

Isn’t that like some sort of legal requirement? Anyway, Token will be serving up great grub on top of games and grog (I expect royalties if that gets adopted). Whether it’s a legal requirement or not, Token’s food offering will be anthing but a token gesture. Taking note of food truck movements in America, Australia and pop-ups in London, there’ll be class food for everyone including gluten free, vegan,  and vegetarian options.

Token arcade offers foodThey’ve even promised food eating competitions which is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to events.

They’ve promised a geansaí load of events

So, obviously they’ll have gaming competitons and the likes to accompany eating competitions. But, the team from The R.A.G.E have always been a creative bunch. To give you an idea what that means, in July the Token arcade will host the second ever Emoji Spelling Bee.

It won’t take long for Token’s function room to be worn in. They’re fans of reality tv, wrestling, board games, podcasts, vinyl records, Dungeons and Dragons, and bad movies. This place is going to be a grown-ups wonderland.

Their Kickstarter campaign was hilarious

Technically, this doesn’t fit into the list but it really does say a lot about what looks like Dublin’s best new venue. We were going to get the Token arcade. The successful Kickstarter campaign was to refurbish the building’s lift. Without it, certain areas of the building would have been wheelchair inaccessible. Now, everyone can enjoy what looks like a stunning venue. But let’s not brush over the Kickstarter campaign either. Some of the rewards were bloody hilarious and will live on with the arcade forever. No, literally. Some of the rewards will effect the place forever:

token arcade kickstarter dublin

I’m counting down the days to this place opening…

When is Token open?

They are flat out prepping the place and aiming for mid-May. Facebook looks like the best place to get updates. Actually, this post in particular is the best spot. Subscribe to this and they’ll post the official opening date when it’s ready.

Token is clearly going to be immense craic when it opens. The team driving Dublin’s latest attraction are totally dedicated to this place being inclusive, fun and developing a huge community. So, go on. Like their facebook page and don’t bloody miss it.

 

HTC’s answer to Samsung’s Edge

Dean
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HTC’s answer to Samsung’s Edge

With all the hype that the new Samsung Galaxy S8 has been getting, and with MWC last month, a lot of people seemed to have forgotten we still have another player yet to announce their new flagship this year (no it’s not Apple). HTC, and they don’t seem like they’re not going to roll over and die after their last 2 flagships have been major flops.

Starting over

To be fair, with the quality of phones and innovation we have been getting the passed couple of years, it’s easy to see why HTC have fallen behind the pack. But this year might be different. HTC seem to be pulling out all the stops. They released their high end phablets, the HTC U Ultra and the U Play. But they still have something else up their sleeve.

What’s inside

Codenamed Ocean, the new HTC is said to have 5.5″ QHD screen. Straight away this tells us HTC probably won’t be entering the smartphone VR market anytime soon as UHD seems to be the standard for a high quality VR experience. But they still have their own awesome VR set up, so we won’t begrudge them for it. Even if it does cost a scandalous amount of cash.

Moving on, it’ll be available in black, white, red, blue and silver. It is meant to have a 12MP camera which seems to be the sweet spot most manufacturers have on their phones these days. And the front snapper will be 16MP. This does not mean the front camera is better than the standard camera. With cameras, it’s all about the sensors and the amount of aperture the lens’ allow in. Hopefully this year their front camera is a bit better than their previous attempts.

The new HTC will have expandable storage up to 256GB and will come in 64GB and 128GB. And all this will be run on the new Snapdragon 835. We have only seen the 835 on the new Galaxy S8 so far so this is definitely a plus they’ll have a ver other rivals such as LG, who only have the 821.

There has been no word on whether or not it’ll have a headphone jack but odds are it’ll probably go down the same route as the Ultra and ditch it.

A new toy

But the most impressive thing about the new HTC is a pretty new technology similar to Samsung’s Edge. HTC aren’t going down the curved screen route. But if they’re going to have bezels, they might as well do something. It’s rumoured to be called the Edge Sense. They have inserted sensors into the sides of the phone which, when squeezed, they will do different functions on screen. It’s definitely something new.

The leaked trailer below shows the Edge Sense in action as it brings up a list of short cuts.

https://youtu.be/-fSPvl8UMy4

Whether it’s groundbreaking like the Edge or Apples 3D Touch is yet to be seen. And how useful it will be and how app developers will jump on board with it is another story in itself. But it should be interesting to see how it plays out. It’s definitely something fresh their phones have needed for awhile now. And it’s something most of they’re rivals don’t have.

And lastly, what the phone will be called has yet to be officially announced . Although it looks like they’re keeping it in line with their ‘U’ series and are going ahead with the HTC U 11.

As a previous HTC owner I can appreciate their phones. They’re honest and don’t try to sell you on gimmicks like an Edge or like LG’s Friends range from last year. But they definitely needed something fresh, and hopefully this new Squeeze is what can push them back up the ranks as an industry giant again.

The HTC U 11 will be unveiled on the 16th of next month.

The 5 must have Alexa Skills for Irish Echo Dot owners

Marty
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0
The 5 must have Alexa Skills for Irish Echo Dot owners

Ok, so now that you’ve settled on the Amazon Echo Dot as your assistant of choice and you’ve got it shipped to Ireland. Now, you’ll need some Alexa Skills to get the most out of it.

What are Alexa Skills?

Alexa Skills are Amazon’s fancy name for apps. You install the Skills that you thing you would like to use the most. The cool thing is that most apps can be activated by you simply asking Alexa to do so. Here are my favourite Alexa Skills for Irish users.

Fitbit

You don’t really need a Fitbit to use the fitness service. Once you download the mobile app, that will actually track your daily progress. I’ve been looking into lots of stuff like this for my Motivating Marty efforts. The Fitbit Alexa Skill means when you get home, simply ask “Alexa, ask Fitbit how I’m doing today” and you’ll get all your step data read out to you. With an actual wearable, you can go further and get sleep tracking data read out too.

4NextBus

The guys over at Zarley LTD get massive attempt marks for their 4NextBus Skill. This is currently the closest thing you can get to a Dublin Bus Alexa Skill right now. The Skill runs on publically available Dublin Bus data and all you have to ask is “Alexa, ask 4NextBus”. You’ll then be greeted with the latest live bus data from your preferred stop. You can also ask from particular stops once you know the numbers.

To be honest, this app goes in the pile of brilliant idea that needs a little work. Definitely, one to watch.

RTÉ Flash News Briefing

Alexa Skills have a category called Flash News Briefing. These are specifically for the latest news bulletins delivered from your preferred news network. A massive well done goes out to RTÉ who are extremely early adopters of the Alexa platform. Once you install the RTÉ Alexa Skill, just ask “Alexa, what’s new” and you’ll get the latest Irish news read out to you. A must have for Irish Echo Dot owners.

Beat the Intro

Not all Alexa Skills are totally serious. There are some cracking games in there too. Beat the Intro will play a few seconds of six music hits. The aim of the game is to name the songs. It’s not overly complicated right now and you can’t shout the names out or anything. Still, another Skill added to the pile that will surely be improving as this platform grows.

7-minute workout

Now, this is what technology is all about. Clear a little space in your sitting room and utter the words “Alexa, start seven-minute workout.” Seven-minute workouts have been scientifically proven as the ideal to increase metabolism, improve energy and lower stress. Of course, there’s also the additional benefit that these types of workout can remove fat. Just throw seven minutes of your day at this Alexa Skill and you’ll reap the rewards.

Bonus: Goos3D is available as an Alexa Skill

We’re super excited to announce that Goos3D is now available as a Flash News Briefing Alexa Skill. You can now get the latest Irish tech news read out to you by simply asking “Alexa, what’s new?” We’ve just launched this new feature and would love to hear what you think. We’ll be developing this in the coming months to work in some improvements.

 

 

 

Echo or Echo Dot? – Which should Irish shoppers go for?

Marty
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0
Echo or Echo Dot? – Which should Irish shoppers go for?

I honestly remember thinking the voice controlled home was such a cool idea. From a young age, I had some sort of voice recognition software installed on the family PC. Man, has it come a long way in just a few years. I recently took a close look at the Amazon Echo and the Echo Dot to see which one you should buy.

What is the difference between the Amazon Echo and Echo Dot?

This is one of the most asked questions when it comes to these devices. The biggest differences are the price and the speakers. The Echo is considerably more expensive that the Echo Dot:


Normally, such a large price difference is justified by some fairly hefty hardware upgrades. I’ll admit the speaker on the Echo are great and plenty loud. But, the Echo Dot does have a speaker built in that’s likely to meet your needs. Even if not, just use your savings to buy a better speaker for it to run on. Honestly, the Echo just has a better speaker, but not a large wad of cash better.

Well, that’s pretty straight forward then?

Yup, it really is. The Echo Dot does everything the Echo does. It just doesn’t pack the punch in the speaker department. Even with that said, in a small apartment, the Echo Dot will hold it’s own playing dinner time Spotify playlists. You can also connect the Echo Dot to other devices by Bluetooth, a feature not available on the Echo.

How can I get the Echo Dot in Ireland?

There are a few options available to you. It’s not officially supported in Ireland, but you can still get the Echo Dot and get it up and running. You can read our article dedicated to getting your hands on the Echo Dot to learn more.

Bonus: Martin compares the Amazon Echo and Echo Dot

 

Parking Tag App: If You Have a Car in Dublin You Need This App

Marty
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0
Parking Tag App: If You Have a Car in Dublin You Need This App

Dublin City parking can be a nightmare at the best of times. If you’re lucky enough to find a spot, there’s always the chance you won’t have change for the meter. Or what about if you don’t but enough in? Or worse still, put too much in. Disaster. That’s why the Parking Tag app is probably one of the best apps for Irish smartphone users.

What is the Parking Tag app?

Parking Tag is a service from Payzone that makes parking your motor much easier. It solves one of those terrible first world problem type problems. Like you know, the parking meter is a 30-second walk away from the car. So, you have to walk to the meter, then back to the car and then go to your meeting or whatever. Ugh, horrible right?

The Parking Tag app lets you control your parking through your phone. I feel somewhat smug as I park up, lock the car and sort my parking as I walk directly to where I need to be.

But that’s not a great reason to use the app

That just one of the reasons I like the app. It can also save you money. If you’ve ever paid for more parking than you need, you’ll know where this is going. Usually, to feel some kind of justice, I’ll run around the car park offering my ticket to others if I’ve overpaid my parking. That craic stopped once I started using the Parking Tag app. If you’re not sure how long you’ll be away, you can low-ball your parking time. The app will then let you know your time is nearly up so you can update it if needed. Simply genius.

The other glaringly obvious benefit is you not needing change. In a world of Android Pay and contactless cards, who carries change? You’ll never be caught out again with this app.

How does Mr. Clamper know to leave me alone?

Ah yes, those guys. Don’t worry, your reg number is registered through the app. Dublin City’s parking wardens have computers with them to check your plates.

Is this parking app just available for Dublin City parking?

Most of Dublin is covered by this parking app. Here’s a full listing:

It’s just one of those really handy apps to have on your phone for emergencies. It’s a little annoying that you have to top your account up and that it auto-renews. But, if you’re parking in Dublin City on a regular basis, this is a must have app.

Get Parking Tag for Android and iOS

 

Tech Week Ireland: 4 events you can’t miss

Marty
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Tech Week Ireland: 4 events you can’t miss

This week, across Ireland, national Tech Week takes place. We love Tech Week for the obvious reasons that tech grips the nation. But, more importantly, Tech Week is aimed at everyone. Our whole reason for existing is to encourage people to try out tech. Here’s our 4 tech week events you can’t afford to miss.

Monday: Electronics workshop at Blackrock Castle, Cork

Every day between 10am and 1pm, Blackrock Castle Observatory are hosting electronics workshops. Here, fifth and sixth class students can get hands-on with circuit boards and then get to test them out. Costing just €5, this should be a great interaction experience

Booking is essential for this event

Tuesday: Tech for good Dublin – VR for social impact

Technology is great fun but it also holds the fantastic power to do great things. Tech for Good is a group bringing together people with technology and making a positive impact. This lecture will kick off at 9am in Trinity and is totally free. Expect to see leading VR content creators while also having a chance to try out Tech for Good VR experiences.

Get all the details for this talk

Wednesday: Scratch finals in University of Limerick

Scratch is a visual programming language. It’s great for kids and grownups to create projects and share them. The core of the programming requires computational thinking and problem-solving. Coupled with the fact it’s fun and users don’t even know they’re learning. The Scratch finals in the University of Limerick will see primary and secondary school students coming together to claim a national title.

Get all the competition details

Friday: The Tech Week Sessions at Féile na Bealtaine

Féile na Bealtaine is an annual festival that lights up Kerry. Coinciding with Tech Week, two speakers will be describing the drive behind their tech passions. You’ll hear from both Lisa O Leary and Alan Toomey whose experience runs from TG4 to solar energy. This free event should be hugely rewarding for attendees looking to kick off Féile na Bealtaine in style.

Find more great Kerry events

These are just 4 of the hundreds of events on nationwide. Get on over to the Tech Week site and find something that suits your tastes. Make this the week you try something techie.

 

 

3 of the most important Gmail tricks to help Irish users

Marty
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0
3 of the most important Gmail tricks to help Irish users

Gmail from Google is one of the world’s most popular email services. We recently brought you the best Chrome Extensions to de-stress your life. Now, we look at 3 Gmail tricks and how you can make your life that little easier.

Tag your emails

Gmail gives you much more than just the email address you asked for. So let’s imagine your email address is seymorebutts@gmail.com. You are also the proud owner of seymore.butts@gmail.com, s.eymorebutts@gmail.com and so on. This is great for free trials and the likes that just check your email. Far more importantly, you are also the owner of seymorebutts+whateveryoulike@gmail.com. Honestly, you can put anything you like in there. If you sign up for a newsletter, change your mail to seymorebutts+newsletter@gmail.com and then create a rule within Gmail to organise these

Far more importantly, you are also the owner of seymorebutts+whateveryoulike@gmail.com. Honestly, you can put anything you like in there. If you sign up for a newsletter, change your mail to seymorebutts+newsletter@gmail.com and then create a rule within Gmail to organise these emails into folders.

Recall Gmail email

Unfortunately, if you’ve just sent a mail and are desperately trying to recall it, you’re outta luck. You can cancel an email within 30 seconds of sending it. The only problem is that you’ll need to have set this is up already. Within Gmail, pop on over to settings and search for ‘Undo send’. Here, you can choose between a 10 and 30 second period where you can undo sending a mail. This setting simply delays the sending of emails and displays a popup after sending asking if you would like to undo.

Super simple, but I can honestly see this savings your arse on so many occasions. Set it up.

Set up two-step authentication

You will curse me for suggesting this and are probably shouting at your laptop, “but that stresses me out”. Sure, two-step authentication might slow down your logging into new machines but you know what sucks more? Losing control of your account and all your emails being available for the world to see. Yup, see? It’s all about perspective.

I personally love two-step authentication. It’s one of my favourite Gmail tricks – yeah, I’m a nerd. But I’m a nerd, comfortable knowing that my Gmail account is safe – along with the millions of services I log in with using my Gmail details. My authentication method of choice is Googles dedicated two-step app. When you’re logging in just fire up the app and tap in the code. Make sure you do set up a phone number too though. I learned that’s a lifesaver when you’re on holidays with no data.

If nothing else, set up that ‘undo’ option. Imagine the relief of recalling that mortifying mail just as you spot the boss was CC’d. That alone is one of the most valuable Gmail tricks.

 

Anotherworld VR: Combining education and terror like a country primary school

Jon
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0
Anotherworld VR: Combining education and terror like a country primary school

Some say Virtual Reality is just a gimmick. Others think it is the next frontier in education and entertainment. We caught up with AnotherWorld VR, a company falling into the latter, at the recent Dublin Tech Summit. This German based company have a background in movies and video and are attempting to bring us to AnotherWorld (see what I did there).

Meeting AnotherWorld VR

With over 15 years of post production experience, it’s clear to see these guys mean business. Here’s how things went when we met up with the team from AnotherWorld VR:

So currently, these guys are working on three major projects, each of which we had the chance to play with at the summit. Not to put too fine a point on it but, holy crap. The graphics were outstanding, the story-lines clear and well thought out and in one case the educational benefits are just impossible to miss.

Have we all not dreamt of time travelling, exploring a fantasy world or going on a beach vacation for lunch break? Well, AnotherWorld VR is making this a reality. Using the latest technology in 3D production and photogrammetry this innovative production studio is aiming to create the most photo-realistic virtual reality experiences to date.

Wars Of Thomond

Now onto the good stuff! These guys love Ireland, its history, the heritage and most importantly the epic stories of the past. Wars of Thomond takes us back to the 13th-14th century during the Anglo-Norman occupation. The game tells the story of the feuding O’ Brien and Cullen families. The politics and the bloody confrontations which culminate in the Battle of Corcamore in 1317 are clear from the offset. Whichever side you select, the story is told from that perspective. Having played the demo I can say the really captures the imagination.

Ireland has a most amazing history and heritage

While at the same time brings back the rich mythology of the country during this time. Educational and fun – who doesn’t like that?

For a VR prototype, the gameplay is slick as your likely to find. Utilising the powerful HTC Vive, one hand becomes your shield while the other enacts as your sword. During the battle as the enemies flood the battlefield in beautiful detail, block sword strokes with your shield, smash them back with a face of pure wood and slash to your heart’s content using your sword arm.

Wars of Thomond from AnotherWorld VR

Wars of Thomond has an incredible landscape and tells a story to match. Couple this with the smooth gameplay and we are excited to see how the final version plays out.

Corcomroe Abbey

Following on from the impressive “Wars of Thomond”, AnotherWorld VR have created what can only be described as an educational tool. Over the summer they guys at AnotherWorld sent a photogrammetry team to Corcomroe Abbey to take over 50,000 pictures of the ruins. With this they were able to build a 3D model of the ruin in a virtual reality realm, the idea here is to free roam the world and learn about your surroundings.

Currently working with a team of historians the goal is to fully reconstruct the area to its original condition. A virtual time lapse will then transport the player back into a fully immersive medieval world, where they will be able to directly interact with historical figures and experience the events from two different points of view, by either swearing fealty to the Clan O’Brien or the rival Clan Cullen.

Remember those old boring history classes from back in the day? Now, just imagine sticking on a VR headset and immersing yourself in the historical world. Sounds much better right?

Kobold: The movie inspiring VR

This one is not for the faint-hearted, Kobold is a horror movie these guys are currently working on. Blurring the lines between cinema and VR, they take a Germanic pagan myth and bring it back to life as a horrific, evil antagonist of a horror film and VR experience.

50% film, 50% VR experience, Kobold is a terrifying new way to experience horror. Something I can personally stand as a testament too, I quite literally think I soiled myself during the demonstration. Unfortunately (or fortunately for me) the movie is actually in German so I saved myself a few nightmares.

If you’re a horror fan and own the HTC Vive, Kobold is well worth a watch. Keep a close eye on AnotherWorld VR’s Facebook page for news.

Honestly, we loved meeting up with AnotherWorld VR and are super excited about what they come up with next. We found these guys to be extremely passionate about where they want VR to go and between the games, the educational benefits and the downright terrifying Kobold anyone who thinks Vr is merely a gimmick needs to look no further than AnotherWorld VR.

Fast and Furious 8 Review: It’s getting re-god-Dom-diculous

Goosed.ie Team
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0
Fast and Furious 8 Review: It’s getting re-god-Dom-diculous

Films sequels can be a tricky tightrope to walk. Sequels need to offer the audience everything they loved about the original movie but on a much bigger scale. But, they also can’t compromise the integrity of the original story. Sounds like a simple thing to do, right? History has shown it’s not easy to make an entertaining sequel that’s still faithful to the original. I’m looking at you Blues Brothers 2000, Grease 2 and Matrix Reloaded. But what happens when you start to move beyond three films in a series? Well, you’re in danger of moving into self-parody. It took four movies for Rocky to introduce a Robot butler. Six movies in and Freddy Kruger possessed a Nintendo 64. Finally, it took a grand total of ten movies for Jason to go to space.

And maybe that’s why the ‘Fast franchise’ has rallied for as long as it has. Pardon the pun. After all, how can you pinpoint the moment a franchise went off the rails when there were no rails, to begin with?

The Fast and Furious world

It’s hard to believe that for the last 15 years the Fast and the Furious AKA: “Vin Diesel Grunts: The Musical” is now on its eighth instalment. The formula for a Fast movie is simple. Combine a paper thin plot with stupid stunts. The Fast and the Furious universe is a magical world where dying is just a mild annoyance. A world populated by female supermodels all you solve all conflicts with fast driving.

Conflict… again

Dominic (Vin Diesel) and Letty Toretto (Michelle Rodriguez) are having fun on their honeymoon in Cuba. Of course, they are partaking in the odd car race. It all goes to hell when a woman called Cipher (Charlize Theron) targets Dom. She forces Dom to work for her and he’s forced to betray his team for some mysterious reason.

It soon becomes clear that our favourite band of rogues and scallywags, led by Luke Hobbs (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) to stop whatever plot Cypher has up her sleeve. Even if that means working with his arch foe Deckard (Jason Statham).

Stupid isn’t bad you know

There’s no way to say this in any real nice way, but this is a stupid movie, there’s just no other word for it. The plot falls apart the very moment you attempt to look beyond the surface of it. If Cipher is such an amazing hacker why does she need Dom in the first place? But then again, stupid doesn’t necessarily mean bad. That’s this movie’s biggest strength. It’s aware of what it is, to the point where the actors clearly don’t take this movie seriously. Ironically and oddly, it’s the Oscar winner Theron that sticks out here in a bad way. She tries too hard to bring some gravity into the movie. Her lines delivered with poise and sobriety in a too fast movie is about as warmly received as a fart (while everyone one else loosens up and has fun with the role).

The verdict

And that’s what this movie is meant to be – mindless fun. If you treat it seriously for a moment, you’re wasting your time. But if you’re willing to turn off your brain for two hours then you’re in for quite the ride.

5 of the best movie Easter eggs

Marty
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132
5 of the best movie Easter eggs

You can watch a movie a million times and still not see everything. That’s pretty much the idea behind Easter eggs in movies. What are they and what are the best movie Easter eggs?

What are movie Easter eggs?

Movie Easter eggs are usually inside jokes or messages hidden by movie makers for fans to find. Generally, it’s the die-hard fans that will find them after watching a movie repeatedly. They are called Easter eggs because the efforts to uncover them are similar to a traditional Easter egg hunt. Of course, Easter eggs are not limited to movies. They actually first appeared in video games thanks to Atari.

What are the best movie Easter eggs?

While they started out in video games, Easter eggs quickly started to appear in movies too. Movie makers just couldn’t resist adding that extra bit of flair to their creations. Here are our five favourite movie Easter eggs:

Mel Gibson appearing in Apocalypto trailer

In 2006, Mel Gibson released his fairly decent movie, Apocalypto. As is standard with all movies, the trailer came first to whet everyone’s appetite. There was something a little strange about the trailer though:

Did you catch it? To be honest, it’s very subtle. Mel Gibson decided to put himself into the trailer smoking a cigarette. As you do.

mel gibson easter egg

Pixar movies are full of Easter eggs

Yes, Pixar movies have more Easter eggs that a sick child. Typically, Pixar movies will reference other Pixar movies. There are some other subtle references too, like this one to the shining:

the shining in toy story

Personally, my favourite is the Planet Pizza truck that appears in almost every Pixar movie:

Martin Scorsese marked impending death with an ‘X’

Not many survived the bloodfest that was The Departed. A quality movie about an undercover Boston cop. Honestly, that’s a movie that’s well overdue a rewatch for me. Even though with this knowledge, you’ll be driven mad watching it. Director, Martin Scorsese, places an ‘X’ on-screen every time a character is about to die:

departed x easter eggThis was a tip of the cap to the original 1932 ‘Scarface’.

They were riding in Hogwarts

Indeed, there was apparently plenty of wand-handling going on in Hogwarts. There’s no denying that the Harry Potter series grew with its audience, getting darker as it went along. It also got a little raunchier if this Easter egg is anything to go by. The end credits for the Prisoner of Azkaban are played over the Maurader’s Map. This map shows where everyone is in Hogwarts in a wizardy Google Maps kind of way. Eagle-eyed viewers spotted that there are two people in the corner going at it. Look at the bottom left corner of this GIF:

Sex easter egg harry potter Prisoner of AzkabanLooks like they are possibly in a closet or something. Is nothing sacred?

Time travelling Easter eggs

Is it really an Easter egg? I’m not so sure. Technically, I’d probably class this as more of a fantastic piece of continuity within a story. Still, not many pick up on the subtlety, so I’m going to call it out. I’m talking about Back to the Future by the way, one of my favourite movies of all time.

When Marty travels back to 1955, he leaves the Twin Pines Mall and lands into the Twin Pines ranch. He makes a hasty exit as the ranch owner fires shots at him. In his haste to leave he runs over one of the ranch’s pine trees. When he returns to 1985, Marty arrives at the Lone Pine Mall:

Movie Easter egg back to the future

That’s the kind of accuracy and subtlety that just makes me happy.

You could spend hours on Google looking for more movie Easter eggs. There are millions. Just search your favourite movie title along with Easter eggs and lose yourself in the internet for hours.

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